6 injured in Colorado flamethrower attack on rally for Israeli hostages

Vancouver Sun

3 days ago

BOULDER, Colo. — Six people were injured Sunday in what the FBI immediately described as a 'targeted terror attack' at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colo., where a group had gathered to raise attention to Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' and used a makeshift flamethrower in the attack, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the Denver field office. Soliman was taken into custody.
No charges were immediately announced but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable.'
We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.
@FBI
Soliman was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities didn't elaborate on the nature of his injuries.
Video from the scene showed a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on a bare-chested suspect with containers in each hand.
The attack took place at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, where demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives had gathered to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza as a war between Israel and Hamas continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police.
FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the U.S. Justice Department — which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations — decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.'
'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director
Dan Bongino said in a post on X.
Our leadership team on the ground in Boulder will be updating you shortly on the attack in Boulder.
This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on…
Israel's war in Gaza began when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be still alive, after most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Police in Boulder were more circumspect about a motive. Police Chief Steve Redfearn said it 'would be irresponsible for me to speculate' while witnesses were still being interviewed but noted that the group that had gathered in support of the hostages had assembled peacefully and that injuries of the victims — ranging from serious to minor — were consistent with them having been set on fire.
Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the pedestrian mall.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was 'closely monitoring' the situation, adding that 'hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.'
'Globalize the intifada in Boulder today. Globalize the intifada in DC last week,' Richard Marceau, the vice-president of Canada's Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said on the X social media platform Sunday evening.
'If you think Canada is immune, think again. Time for governments & law enforcement to really wake up.'
In a post on X,
Toronto Police
said they were closely monitoring developments in the Boulder attack.
'Our priority is the well-being and safety of our communities and we continue to maintain a heightened and visible presence at schools, community centres and places of worship across Toronto,' police said.
We are aware of the attack in Boulder, Colorado and are monitoring the situation closely.
pic.twitter.com/gCJ0yhz5sA
Mayor Steve Del Duca of Vaughan, Ont., called on Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford to 'move swiftly to everything possible to deal with this. Now.'
'The horrifying anti-Semitic attack on a peaceful demonstration in Colorado is heartbreaking to see. But make no mistake, it is the direct result of many months of absent leadership and a lack of moral clarity across North America and in too many places around the world,' he said on X.
'Words and social media posts are simply not enough. We need stronger laws and meaningful enforcement at every level of government to protect our Jewish residents from the deplorable hatred that they have been forced to endure.'
— With files from National Post