DOJ files hate crime charge against suspect in Boulder attack
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal hate crime charge against the man suspected of attacking a group of demonstrators with incendiary devices in Boulder on Sunday, leaving eight victims hospitalized.
The victims, ranging in age from 52 to 88, were participants in the Boulder branch of Run For Their Lives, which organizes events calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. They suffered burns from Molotov cocktails and what FBI officials described as a 'makeshift flamethrower.' At least one victim was described as being in critical condition.
The suspect, 45-year-old Mohammed Sabry Soliman, was arrested by Boulder police and later told investigators that he targeted what he called a 'Zionist group' after learning about it through an online search, according to an FBI affidavit filed Monday. Officials previously reported that Soliman, a Colorado Springs resident, was heard to shout 'Free Palestine' during the attack.
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'He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' the FBI wrote of the suspect's interview after his arrest. 'He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year.'
A criminal complaint filed in federal court charges Soliman with one count of 'a hate crime offense involving the actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.'
'No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice,' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. 'There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation.'
Soliman is expected to face additional state and federal charges in connection with the attack. Officials said they would provide more information on the charges at a 2:30 p.m. press conference.
Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for public affairs, said Monday that Soliman was in the U.S. unlawfully, having entered the country in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023. An Egyptian national, he filed an asylum claim in September 2022, McLaughlin said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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