Six people injured in 'targeted terror attack' in US, FBI says

Yahoo

2 days ago

Six people were injured in an incident that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) called a "targeted terror attack" in the western state of Colorado on Sunday.
FBI special agent Mark Michalek told a press conference the attack was being treated as an act of terrorism.
Witnesses told the FBI the suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd and shouted "Free Palestine" during the attack, Michalek said. The attack happened at a regularly scheduled peaceful event, he added.
Six people, aged between 67 and 88, were injured and taken to hospital, Michalek said.
"As a result of these preliminary facts it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism," he said.
"Sadly attacks like this are becoming too common across the country. This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across our nation," Michalek said.
"Our strength as a society comes from our shared values and our commitment to protecting one another ... Any attempt to divide us through fear or harm has no place in Boulder, in Colorado or anywhere in our nation."
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote earlier on X the agency was "aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado."
Earlier, Boulder police chief Steve Redfearn had said it was too early to call it a terror attack and it would be "irresponsible" for him to speculate on the motive. The suspect had been detained and was taken to hospital with minor injuries, he added.
Redfearn said initial calls to police said a man was setting people on fire.
"When we arrived, we encountered multiple victims that were injured with injuries consistent with burns and other injuries," he said.
At a later press conference, Redfearn thanked emergency workers who rushed to the scene where the suspect was "throwing Molotov cocktails, and using other devices to hurt people."
One person was seriously injured, Redfearn said, adding it would be "safe to say" that person was in a critical condition.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis said he was closely monitoring the situation.
"My thoughts go out to the people who have been injured and impacted by this heinous act of terror," he wrote on X.
"Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable. While details emerge, the state works with local and federal law enforcement to support this investigation."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said terror had "no place in our great country," in a post on X.
"We're united in prayer for the victims of a targeted terror attack this afternoon in Boulder," he wrote.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, wrote on X that the attack was not a protest.
"Today, in Boulder, Colorado, Jewish people marched with a moral and humane demand: to return the hostages. In response, the Jewish protesters were brutally attacked, with an attacker throwing a Molotov cocktails at them," he wrote.
"Make no mistake – this is not a political protest, this is terrorism. The time for statements is over. It is time for concrete action to be taken against the instigators wherever they may be."
The conflict in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militant organization Hamas and other extremists invaded Israel, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostage.
Israel responded with a massive attack, which has since killed more than 54,300 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority. The figures do not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties.