Boulder attack suspect charged with federal hate crime after leaving 12 people injured in 'terror' incident. Here's everything we know about what happened.

Yahoo

4 days ago

A man who allegedly shouted 'Free Palestine' and threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd of people calling for the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas has been charged with a federal hate crime.
The suspect in the attack, which left at least 12 people injured, has been identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, from El Paso County, Colo., the FBI's Denver office said on Sunday. Soliman has been charged with a "hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion or national origin," according to an affidavit filed on Monday.
Soliman allegedly told police he had planned the attack for a year, researching and specifically targeting a "Zionist group." Soliman confessed to the attack after being taken into custody and told police he would do it again, the Associated Press reported, citing an FBI affidavit.
It was initially reported that four women and four men, between the ages of 52 and 88, were injured in the attack at Pearl Street Mall, Boulder Police said in a statement on Sunday. No victims have died, although the injuries range from minor to serious. Four more people have reached out to law enforcement, saying they were hurt during the attack, bringing the number of victims up to 12, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a press briefing on Monday.
Two victims still remain in the hospital, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said Monday afternoon.
While Boulder Police on Sunday said it was too early to treat the situation as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel called the incident a 'targeted terror attack.' Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also referred to the situation as 'not a political protest' but 'terrorism.'
Soliman was booked into the Boulder County Jail, and his bail was set at $10 million in cash. He is set to appear in court on Monday.
Here's what we know about what happened.
The rally was organized by Run for Their Lives, a national group that has held walks in support of the Israeli hostages who were taken after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 250 Israeli hostages were taken during the attack and, following months of releases and several deaths, at least 23 are still believed to be alive.
Run for Their Lives encourages participants to join its weekly walks to raise awareness for the hostages, and on its website, specifies that participants should not formally protest or block roads.
'This is a family-friendly event,' the group states on its website. 'It is non-violent and does not focus on the traumatic events that occurred during the hostages' captivity. Our events are meant to be quiet and peaceful.'
The group met around 1 p.m. local time on Sunday to walk up and down the length of the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian area that spans four blocks of downtown Boulder. It was not clear how many people on the scene were participating in the Run for Their Lives rally or were witnesses who happened to be in the area, Redfearn said Monday.
Authorities were called to an incident near Pearl Street Mall just before 1:30 p.m. MT on Sunday, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said at an afternoon briefing that day. He said police received calls that a group had been 'set on fire.'
Multiple witnesses reported that a man 'with a makeshift flamethrower' and an incendiary device was chanting 'Free Palestine' and threw the incendiary device into the crowd, the FBI said.
Soliman told investigators he created his homemade Molotov cocktails after doing research on YouTube.
Police said they found 16 unlit Molotov cocktails near where Soliman was arrested. Each item was either a glass carafe, bottle or jar. Inside Soliman's car, which was found nearby, law enforcement found pieces of paper with the words "Israel," "Palestine" and "USAID," AP reported.
Witnesses said they saw people writhing on the ground and other people running to get water to try to help the victims. UCHealth told CBS News' Colorado station that two of the victims were flown by helicopter to its burn unit; police stated four others were taken to Boulder Community Health.
Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime as of Monday afternoon. After being arrested, Soliman reportedly told police he had been planning the attack for a year, researching and specifically targeting a "Zionist group."
It appears Soliman acted alone, FBI Denver Special Agent Mark Michalek said Monday afternoon.
Senior law enforcement officials stressed during the Sunday press briefing that an investigation into what happened in Boulder on Sunday is still in its early stages. They said that Soliman is an Egyptian national who has had no previous significant contact or interactions with law enforcement.
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, claimed in a statement on X that Soliman was 'an illegal alien.'
Soliman entered the U.S. in August 2022 on a B2 visa — a tourism visa that expired in February 2023 — and then filed for asylum in September 2022, Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, told ABC News on Monday. Another senior official told ABC that Soliman was granted a work permit after his B2 visa expired, and that permit expired on March 28.
Soliman told a detective he had used Molotov cocktails because he was not able to legally buy a firearm because of his immigration status, acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell said on Monday.
Redfearn said law enforcement has been reviewing Soliman's social media profiles, but noted that 'it's way too early to speculate a motive.'