Who is Mohamed Soliman? Records reveal Colorado terror suspect tried to purchase a gun
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the man who authorities say attacked a pro-Israel event in Colorado and left 12 people with burn injuries, tried to purchase a gun and took a concealed carry course but opted instead to use incendiary devices when he could not legally buy a gun, according to court documents.
Soliman nodded and quietly said "yes" when asked routine questions about his detention by a judge as he appeared virtually from Boulder County Jail for a bond hearing on June 2.
The day before, after being arrested for the attack, he told investigators he "wanted to kill all Zionist people" and would launch another assault if he was able to, a federal affidavit said.
And in Monday afternoon news conference, state, local and federal officials said Soliman, 45, had an additional 16 incendiary devices within his reach as he was taken into custody. Authorities said he also had tried to purchase a gun, but was denied due to his citizenship status.
Soliman, of El Paso County, Colorado, was arrested June 1 at a pedestrian mall where investigators said he hurled Molotov cocktails into a crowd and used a makeshift flamethrower to attack a group of people peacefully advocating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
He's now facing federal hate crime and attempted murder charges, as well as state charges of attempted murder, use of incendiary devices, and other offenses. He remained in custody on $10 million cash bond. Authorities said in the news conference June 2 they believe he acted alone.
According to an arrest affidavit, Soliman told medical personnel on the scene he'd planned the attack as vengeance for "his people." The affidavit said he has a valid Colorado driver's license and no prior criminal history.
After his arrest, Soliman told investigators he "wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead," the affidavit said. It continued: "(Soliman) stated that he hated the 'Zionist group' and did this because he hated this group and needed to stop them from taking over 'our land,' which he explained to be Palestine."
He further told investigators he planned the assault for a year and "was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack," the affidavit said.
Soliman, a father of five, entered the U.S. in August 2022 on a B-2 tourist visa that expired over two years ago, said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. An affidavit said he was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado three years ago.
Local law enforcement was dispatched Sunday at 1:26 p.m. to the outdoor Pearl Street Mall, where a man had launched an attack against a weekly, peaceful event advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza, according to the Boulder Police Department.
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.
In his Toyota Prius parked nearby, investigators discovered red rags, a jug of gasoline and paperwork with the words "Israel," "Palestine" and "USAID," according to the charging document.
He told investigators that after being denied the legal purchase of a gun due to not being a citizen, he researched on YouTube how to make Molotov Cocktails, purchased the ingredients to do so and constructed them himself, the affidavit said.
Police initially said there were 8 victims, but in the news conference the day after the attacks, they said another four victims came forward. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said the additional victims were not immediately identified as such because their injuries were minor.
McLaughlin said Soliman's tourist visa expired in February 2023, six months after he arrived in the U.S.
In general, B-2 visas are valid for six months and can be used for vacations, visiting relatives, medical treatment or participation in music, sports or events. The State Department issues millions of B-1 and B-2 visas each year. B-1 visas are similar to B-2 and allow for nonimmigrants to visit for six months for conferences and business for six months.
In addition, McLaughlin said Soliman applied for asylum in September 2022. That claim was likely still pending. As of March, the immigration court backlog was around 3.6 million cases, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on X described Soliman as an "illegal alien" and criticized the Biden administration, which he accused of approving a work permit for Soliman after he overstayed his tourist visa.
Uber on June 2 confirmed that Soliman had worked as a driver starting in spring 2023 although the company did not specify whether he worked driving passengers or for Uber Eats, or both. In a statement to USA TODAY, the company said his account has been terminated, prohibiting him from working there again. The company noted that he passed a background check and provided the legally required documents necessary to work as a contractor.'Mr. Soliman had no concerning feedback while driving on the Uber platform,' the company said in a statement. 'We've banned the driver's account and have been in touch with law enforcement.'
Speaking with investigators, Soliman said he lived at a home in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children, according to the federal affidavit.
Soliman told law enforcement he left an iPhone at the house, hidden in a desk drawer, with messages to his family. He also left behind a journal, records said.
As officers first arrived at Soliman's home, they saw his wife leave the house. She soon arrived at an office for the Colorado Springs Police Department, where she handed over an iPhone 14 used by Soliman and other members of the family.
FBI agents later searched Soliman's home in El Paso County.
"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 what they found.
J. Bishop Grewell acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, said in the news conference Soliman's family was cooperating with investigators.
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.
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."
A hearing is scheduled for June 5.
Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler, Trevor Hughes
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man arrested in Colorado terror attack tried to buy gun, police say
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