Colorado antisemitic attack suspect to appear in federal court on Friday amid widespread fear over antisemitic attacks

CNN

13 hours ago

The Egyptian man accused of carrying out an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, is set to appear in federal court on Friday – a day after he was charged with 28 counts of attempted murder in connection to a firebombing that has sparked widespread fear across the Jewish community.
Mohamed Soliman, 45, allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire during a downtown event held in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The attack occurred on the eve of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday, and less than two weeks after a separate antisemitic attack in Washington, DC, where two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot dead.
In a Public Service Announcement Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security highlighted 'potential public safety concerns related to ongoing threats to Jewish and Israeli communities.'
Soliman faces a federal hate crime charge in connection with the Boulder attack, an affidavit shows. He faces life in prison if convicted of the federal charge, acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado J. Bishop Grewell said Monday.
On Thursday, Soliman appeared in court from a room in the Boulder County Jail before Colorado District Judge Nancy Salomone to face state charges. Wearing an orange zip-up jacket, Soliman nodded in response to the judge's questions.
He faces 118 counts, including 28 counts of first-degree attempted murder, according to court documents filed in the Boulder District Court.
Soliman also faces counts of felony assault, incendiary device charges, along with one count of animal cruelty, the document shows.
CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment.
A total of 62 of those counts relate to the victims. If convicted, Soliman could face up to 48 years in prison for each victim, said Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Colorado's 20th Judicial District.
The attack injured at least 15 people – including a Holocaust survivor – as well as a dog. The victims included eight women and seven men between the ages of 25 and 88, according to the FBI, with several suffering severe burns.
Three victims remained hospitalized as of Thursday, Dougherty said.
He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on his state charges on July 15.
During the attack, Soliman reportedly yelled 'Free Palestine,' according to the FBI and later told authorities that 'he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' an affidavit said.
Authorities are investigating whether Soliman has any underlying mental health issues, a source familiar with the investigation previously told CNN.
Investigators are also examining a notebook left behind by Soliman, which includes a manifesto written in English with some lines in Arabic, according to a law enforcement source. Police recovered the notebook after Soliman directed them to its location.
Investigators are also reviewing videos Soliman recorded on his phone, featuring him speaking in both English and Arabic, the source said.
One such video, which has surfaced on social media, appears to show Soliman speaking in Arabic while driving.
CNN has not independently confirmed the video's authenticity.
The attack is one of multiple recent incidents that has increased fear among the Jewish community in the US.
'The ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters,' the FBI and DHS warned in their public service announcement.
'Foreign terrorist organizations also may try to exploit narratives related to the conflict to inspire attacks in the United States,' the announcement said.
The agencies urged the public to remain vigilant and report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett and interfaith leaders gathered Wednesday to denounce the attack and call for unity, according to a news release.
'Violence in any form has no place in Colorado, and we know that to move forward we must join together in our common humanity to ensure peace in our communities, take care of one another, and emerge stronger,' Polis said in a statement.
CNN's Danya Gainor, Cindy Von Quednow, Evan Perez, Alisha Ebrahimji and Jeremy Harlan contributed to this report.