Who is Mohamed Soliman? Suspect arrested in Colorado terror attack.

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4 days ago

Officials have not released many details about Soliman, but White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said on X that Soliman had overstayed his tourist visa and was in the country illegally.
Soliman was booked on multiple preliminary charges including first-degree murder and using explosives or an incendiary device while committing a felony. Prosecutors are still weighting what charges to file against him.
Police said Soliman was injured in the incident and taken to a hospital to be medically evaluated before being booked in the Boulder County jail. It's unclear if he has an attorney.
How did the Boulder attack unfold?
The Boulder Police Department was dispatched Sunday at 1:26 p.m. to the outdoor Peal Street Mall, where a man had launched an attack against a weekly, peaceful event advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza, according to police.
Witnesses said the attacker used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd, said Mark Michalek, special agent in charge at the FBI's Denver field office. He said witnesses heard the suspect yell "free Palestine."
Eight victims - four women and four men, ages 52 to 88 - were injured in the attack and brought to hospitals in the Denver metro area, according to the Boulder Police Department.
"As a result of these preliminary attacks, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism," Michalek said.
Suspect granted a tourist visa, work permit: White House official says
Miller said in a statement on X that "A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien."
He said Soliman was granted a tourist visa, which he eventually overstayed. Miller added that he was later given a work permit. He did not say when the visa and permit were granted, but said they were approved while former President Joe Biden was in office.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agencies in charge of approving tourist visas and work permits, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment.
FBI conducts raid at suspect's home in Colorado terror attack
FBI agents searched Soliman's home in El Paso County hours after he was named the suspect in the pedestrian mall attack.
"The FBI is at a location in El Paso County, CO, conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity related to the attack on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder," the agency's field office in Denver said on X. "As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time."
The agency has not provided details about the search.
Did the Boulder attacker act alone?
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn at a news conference said authorities do not believe there are any additional suspects at large in connection with the attack.
"We are not going to say that with absolute certainty, because we're still conducting a lot of interviews," he told reporters, adding, "We are fairly confident we have the lone suspect in custody."
At the same news conference, Michalek said authorities have not found any link between the suspect and a greater criminal network or particular group. He added, however, that "this will be a thorough and complete investigation and those checks are ongoing."
"We are early in the investigative process but both sides are working collaboratively and we'll see where the investigation goes," he said.
How will Soliman be charged?
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Doherty said he and his office will work with the U.S. attorney's office to determine what charges to file against Soliman.
"There are a couple different options," he told reporters at a news conference.
"But what I would stress now, most importantly, is that we are fully united - 100% - in making sure the charges we bring hold the attacker fully accountable."