Colorado firebomb suspect spent a year planning attack on pro-Israel group

India Today

2 days ago

An Egyptian man has been accused of throwing firebombs at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, injuring at least 12 people. Prosecutors said the man, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, had been planning the attack for over a year. The man used Molotov cocktails because he couldn't buy guns since he is not a US citizen.Soliman, 45, used Molotov cocktails during the attack, which happened at the Pearl Street Mall on Sunday. That area is a popular pedestrian zone near the University of Colorado. The rally was organised by a pro-Israel group, Run for Their Lives.'advertisementAccording to court documents, Soliman told investigators he wanted to "kill all Zionist people" but delayed it until his daughter graduated from high school. He also said he learned how to make bombs by watching YouTube videos.
Authorities said many of the victims were elderly. After the attack, 16 Molotov cocktails were found near Soliman. A gasoline can was discovered in his nearby car, and he had also brought a weed sprayer filled with gasoline to the scene.USED FIREBOMBS DUE TO IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONSPolice and FBI affidavits quoted the suspect as saying he had learned to shoot a gun in a class he took for the purpose of obtaining a concealed-carry permit but ended up using Molotov cocktails because of his immigration status. Soliman told investigators that he had learned how to make firebombs from YouTube.advertisementTodd Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said Soliman had overstayed a tourist visa and had an expired work permit. He had been living in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children.Soliman moved to Colorado three years ago after living in Kuwait for 17 years. Federal and state prosecutors have filed multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault, and a federal hate crime. If convicted, Soliman could face a life sentence under the federal hate crime charge and up to 384 years for the state charges.GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CONDEMN ATTACKUS President Donald Trump said in a social media post that such attacks would not be tolerated. "This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland," he said.After the attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media: "In light of yesterday's horrific attack, all terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathisers here on a visa should know that under the Trump administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you."US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident an "antisemitic terror attack" and said Soliman would be held fully accountable.advertisementAt a court hearing on Monday, Soliman appeared via video from Boulder County Jail. He spoke only briefly, answering "yes" to some questions. The attack was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish Americans linked to outrage over Israel's escalating military offensive in Gaza. It followed the fatal shooting of two Israel Embassy aides that took place outside Washington's Capital Jewish Museum last month.