Who is Mohamed Soliman? Suspect Identified in Boulder 'Terrorist Attack'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified Mohamed Sabry Soliman as the man responsible for the attack in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday afternoon, local time.
Six victims, aged 67 to 88, were transported to local hospitals after Soliman used a "makeshift flamethrower" and hurled "an incendiary device" into the crowd. He was heard shouting "Free Palestine" during the attack, the special agent in charge told reporters.
Solimon had attacked the American Jewish group Run for Their Lives, organizes events while calling for the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas, according to their website.
Several people were injured in the attack, with the extent of injuries unconfirmed but ranging from minor to more severe, according to local law enforcement. The suspect was injured as well.
Multiple local, state and federal agencies are currently on the scene in Boulder as they investigate the attack. Early in the day, Soliman had been described as a "man with a weapon lighting people on fire."
FBI Director Kash Patel in a post on X referred to the attack as a "targeted terror attack," but Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn at an earlier press briefing said "it would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on."
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
12 minutes ago
- Newsweek
'Russia's Pearl Harbor' Fuels Fears Over Chinese Cargo Ships at US Ports
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sunday's Ukrainian drone ambush on a Russian airbase more than 3,000 miles from the front lines has intensified a growing debate among U.S. military analysts over the plausibility of a similar attack launched from Chinese merchant vessels docked at American ports. The scenario has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and security analysts alike following confirmation that COSCO Shipping—China's state-owned shipping giant—operates across key U.S. ports, despite being designated by the Department of Defense as a Chinese military company. At issue is whether drones or cruise missiles could be hidden in shipping containers aboard these vessels, activated remotely or after offloading, and used in a preemptive strike. "This is a very plausible form of attack in the U.S.," said Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a former U.S. Navy officer. "But the attack would need to overcome several challenges," he told Newsweek. "The drones need to get out of the container, and that's hard to control aboard a ship. A more feasible approach would be to deploy the drones from a container once it's offloaded and moved on a truck." In this image taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. In this image taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. AP Retired Navy commander Thomas Shugart, now a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, has voiced a more urgent warning. "It is becoming borderline-insane that we routinely allow ships owned and operated by DoD-designated Chinese military companies to sit in our ports with thousands of containers onboard and under their control," Shugart said in a conversation with Newsweek. Shugart said the concept isn't speculative—it mirrors Chinese military writings. "Their Science of Campaigns is full of references to 'sudden' and 'surprise' strikes," he said, referring to a core text that Chinese military officers are expected to study. "They explicitly discuss hitting first, especially against what they call the 'powerful entity,' which is clearly a reference to the United States." The concerns are not just theoretical. In January, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security asked the U.S. Coast Guard for a classified briefing, citing COSCO's access to "major U.S. ports" and warning of risks including "espionage, cyber intrusions, sabotage, and supply chain disruptions," according to a letter sent in January. Vulnerabilities Can Be Exploited Zak Kallenborn, a researcher of drone and asymmetric warfare, acknowledged the technical possibility but questioned the timing. "A similar Chinese drone attack is definitely plausible and worth worrying about," he told Newsweek. "However, a Chinese attack is unlikely to come completely out of the blue. If China were to do this, we'd likely already be at war." Shipping containers, including those from COSCO, a Chinese state-owned shipping and logistics company await transportation on a rail line at the Port of Long Beach on July 12, 2018 in Long Beach, California. Shipping containers, including those from COSCO, a Chinese state-owned shipping and logistics company await transportation on a rail line at the Port of Long Beach on July 12, 2018 in Long Beach, California. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images Still, the lessons from Ukraine's recent drone strike on Russian airfields linger heavily in the minds of U.S. analysts and war planners grappling with the warp-speed progress of battlefield technological advancements like drone warfare. The operation on Sunday exposed how even hardened military targets can be neutralized by low-cost drones—deep inside a nuclear-armed adversary's territory where an enemy's conventional air power would be difficult to penetrate. For some of these experts, it raised uncomfortable parallels to U.S. vulnerabilities. Shugart said the U.S. shouldn't assume distance offers safety. "We've hardened some overseas air bases," he said. "But we still park billion-dollar aircraft in the open on our own soil. That's a risk." According to a March report from the Atlantic Council, China has developed and demonstrated containerized missile and drone platforms that can be covertly transported aboard commercial vessels. The report warned these systems could enable Beijing to establish "a covert way to establish anti-access/area denial nodes near major maritime choke points." A Regulatory Blindspot Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb demonstrated how swarms of inexpensive, off-the-shelf drones—slightly modified to carry explosives and smuggled in wooden containers to be deployed remotely—can inflict billions of dollars in damage on strategic military assets, including long-range bombers. The contrast has fueled criticism of more traditional defense approaches, such as President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile shield, which analysts say may be poorly matched to emerging low-cost threats. What if I told you that as I type this there was a vessel, associated with the Chinese PLA, that *could* be equipped with many dozens of anti-ship cruise missiles—and was parked less than 4 miles from the bulk of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Well guess what: it's happening—for real. — Tom Shugart (@tshugart3) August 22, 2024 The regulatory environment surrounding drones is also a major factor in the growing risk, experts say. "We don't have a drone transportation and logistics system," military theorist John Robb wrote on X. "The FAA strangled it in the crib a decade ago. If the FCC had regulated the internet the way we've handled drones, we'd still be using AOL." Robb advocates for a national drone framework with built-in security measures: "Monitoring, kill switches, no-fly zones, hardware and software rules, maintenance requirements, and corporate certification." In Congress, lawmakers continue to press the Coast Guard to ensure more stringent vetting of foreign vessels, crew members and cargo. "The vetting process must be consistent and comprehensive across all U.S. ports," the Homeland Security Committee wrote in its January request. The committee also raised concerns about Chinese political officers allegedly embedded aboard COSCO vessels, which it argued underscores direct Chinese Communist Party influence over ostensibly commercial operations. For analysts like Clark, the technology is only part of the equation. The more pressing concern is readiness. "If China believes it can use relatively small drones to cause major damage, and we've done nothing to detect or deter it, that's a vulnerability we can't afford to ignore," he said.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boulder attack suspect had 'no regrets' over long-planned 'antisemitic' plot, officials say
The man accused of launching an "antisemitic attack" that injured at least 12 protesters with a "makeshift flamethrower" and Molotov cocktails in downtown Boulder on Sunday had "no regrets" and wanted his targets to die, Colorado officials said. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, posed as a gardener to get closer to the group of Jewish protesters, police and prosecutors said at a news conference Monday as the city's Jewish community reels from the attack. The city of Boulder said in a statement Monday night that it was a "targeted, antisemitic attack." Authorities said eight of the victims, ranging in age from 52 to 88, were admitted to the hospital with burns. One is a Holocaust survivor, according to a local rabbi. None have been identified publicly. At least four of the injured were hospitalized and later discharged. Two were airlifted to UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Rabbi Marc Soloway told NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver. Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder after deliberation; attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference; first-degree assault, including against an at-risk victim older than 70, and possession of an incendiary device. He remains in custody on a $10 million bond. The suspect has also been federally charged with a hate crime for targeting a religious or ethnic group. If convicted on all the charges, he faces up to 192 years in prison. Authorities say the victims were participating in a peaceful rally calling for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its terrorist attack Oct. 7, 2023. The Boulder branch of the Run for Their Life, like similar offshoots across the country, has been demonstrating to raise awareness of the hostages' plight every week. Soliman shouted "Free Palestine" during the attack, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal district court. "Mr. Soliman stated that he had been planning this attack for a year. And he acted because he hated what he called 'the Zionist group,'" J. Bishop Grewell, the acting U.S. attorney for the district of Colorado, said in a news conference Monday. When interviewed about the attack, Grewell said Soliman told police he "wanted them all to die." "He had no regrets, and he would go back and do it again," Grewell said. An affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court said Soliman found out about the Run for Their Lives group online and knew it planned to meet at 1 p.m. Sunday. According to the criminal complaint and Michael Dougherty, district attorney for Boulder County, the attack could have been worse: While the suspect threw two Molotov cocktails into the crowd, police recovered 16 more from the scene. Soliman also had attempted to buy a firearm before the attack but was denied due to his immigration status, police said. The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that Soliman legally entered the country on a B2 visa, normally issued to tourists, in August 2022 and filed for asylum in September 2022. While his visa expired in February 2023, Soliman had not yet exhausted all legal options to stay in the U.S. Video from the scene apparently shows the suspect throwing the cocktails and setting himself alight in the process. Later, he can be seen shirtless, holding glass bottles containing clear liquid. Police said he had a backpack sprayer filled with gasoline and had planned to die while carrying out his plot. Fears are running high in the local Jewish community. The Boulder attack came just 11 days after a Jewish couple was shot dead outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. That one of the victims of Sunday's attack was a Holocaust survivor was particularly upsetting and poignant for some. The attack also took place on the eve of Shavuot, an important Jewish holiday. Rabbi Fred Greene, of the Congregation Har Hashem, told NBC News: "She knows what it was like to be a child as a refugee and she goes around telling stories, not just to fight antisemitism but [to] stop the hatred of other people who are also looking for a better future in this community." Rabbi Marc Soloway, whose Congregation Bonai Shalom is attended by six of Sunday's victims, said: "This was Jewish people, many from my congregation, who were having a peaceful walk on the mall on a Sunday afternoon and they were violently and brutally attacked by fire. It brings up horrific images of our past." "Just the idea of somebody who literally has their body on fire in the middle of the mall in Boulder, Colorado, it just defies belief," he told KUSA. A community vigil will be held Wednesday evening at the Boulder Jewish Community Center. Boulder Jewish Festival, which has long been scheduled for this Sunday, will also take place as planned but will be "reimagined" in light of the attack, the center said in a Facebook post. This article was originally published on
Los Angeles Times
23 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Boulder suspect backed off his initial plan to kill all in a group he called ‘Zionist,' police say
BOULDER, Colo. — A man in Boulder disguised as a gardener who wounded 12 people in an attack on a group holding their weekly demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza had planned to kill them all but appeared to have second thoughts, according to authorities. Mohamed Sabry Soliman had 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two during Sunday's attack in which he yelled 'Free Palestine,' police said. He didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before,' police wrote in an affidavit. The two incendiary devices he did throw into the group of about 20 people were enough to wound more than half of them, and authorities said he expressed no regrets about the attack. The 45-year-old Soliman — whose first name also was spelled Mohammed in some court documents — planned the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers charging him with a federal hate crime. 'When he was interviewed about the attack, he said he wanted them all to die, he had no regrets and he would go back and do it again,' Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado said during a news conference Monday. Federal and state prosecutors filed separate criminal cases against Soliman, charging him with a hate crime and attempted murder, respectively. He faces additional state charges related to the incendiary devices, and more charges are possible in federal court, where the Justice Department will seek a grand jury indictment. Soliman is being held on a $10 million, cash-only bond, prosecutors said. His next court hearing is set for Thursday. An FBI affidavit says Soliman told the police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people,' a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Soliman's attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after the hearing. Soliman was living in the U.S. illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on the social platform X. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington. The victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88, and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said. Six of the injured were taken to hospitals, and four have since been released, said Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organizer connected to the group. She said the clothing of one of those who remains hospitalized caught on fire. Members of the volunteer group called Run For Their Lives were holding their weekly demonstration when the attack happened. Video from the scene captured by witness Alex Osante of San Diego shows people pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught fire during the attack. Osante said that after the suspect threw the two incendiary devices, apparently catching himself on fire as he threw the second, he took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video Osante filmed. The Molotov cocktails were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the them, the FBI said. 'He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,' the affidavit says. He had gas in a backpack sprayer but told investigators he didn't spray it on anyone but himself 'because he had planned on dying.' Soliman also told investigators he took a concealed carry class and tried to buy a gun but was denied because he is not a legal U.S. citizen. Authorities said they believe Soliman acted alone. He was also injured and taken to a hospital. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, but a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear. Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved three years ago to Colorado Springs, where he lived with his wife and five kids, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired. DHS did not respond to requests for additional information. Slevin and Tucker write for the Associated Press. Tucker reported from Washington.
