Suspect posed as a gardener in Boulder attack on participants of Israeli hostage event
Article content
'He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it,' police wrote in an affidavit. He didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before.'
Mohamad Sabry Soliman, 45, planned the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers charging him with a federal hate crime. The suspect's first name also was spelled Mohammed in some court documents.
'When he was interviewed about the attack, he said he wanted them all to die, he had no regrets and he would go back and do it again,' Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado said during a press conference Monday.
Federal and state prosecutors filed separate criminal cases against Soliman, charging him with a hate crime and attempted murder, respectively. He faces additional state charges related to the incendiary devices, and more charges are possible in federal court, where the Justice Department will seek a grand jury indictment.
During a state court hearing Monday, Soliman appeared briefly via a video link from the Boulder County Jail wearing an orange jumpsuit. Another court hearing is set for Thursday. Soliman is being held on a $10 million, cash-only bond, prosecutors said.
An FBI affidavit says Soliman confessed to the attack after being taken into custody Sunday and told the police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people,' a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel.
Soliman's attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after the hearing.
Soliman was living in the U.S. illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on the social platform X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
6 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Justice Department cutting up to 264 jobs as it faces ‘budgetary pressures'
OTTAWA - The federal Department of Justice is set to lay off as many as 264 employees as it navigates what it calls 'significant budgetary pressures.' Ian McLeod, a spokesperson for the department, said in an email the department is taking 'difficult but necessary' steps to manage available resources, given ongoing budget pressures that 'can no longer be sustained.' He said 264 positions in the department 'may no longer be required' and that the employees in those roles were notified this week. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW McLeod said the department has implemented measures aimed at addressing budgetary pressures over the past year, including staffing restrictions. He said the department also underwent a 'thorough examination of its organizational structures' and identified opportunities for cost savings. McLeod said the affected positions were chosen based on 'functions and work that may not continue,' given the department's reduced budget. He said it's unlikely that all 264 positions will be eliminated. The number of federal public service jobs dropped by almost 10,000 in the past year, marking the first decrease since 2015. As of March 31, there were 357,965 people working for the federal government, down from 367,772 in 2024. Between 2024 and 2025, the Justice Department lost 29 workers, going from 5,637 to 5,608 employees. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Hundreds of workers in other federal organizations — like the Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — have also been laid off recently. Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to cap, not cut, the federal public service, but has not said what that cap would be. He has also promised to launch a 'comprehensive' review of government spending with the aim of increasing its productivity. McLeod said the Justice Department will keep taking 'proactive measures,' like staffing restrictions, careful prioritization of work and streamlining of functions across the department 'to minimize further impacts on staff as much as possible.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Panama's president appeals to a higher power as nearly 2 months of protests roil nation
PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama's José Raúl Mulino appealed to a higher power on Friday, calling in an archbishop and a rabbi to deliver a message to striking banana workers after nearly two months of social protest that have roiled the country. Mulino has said he won't reverse controversial changes to Panama's social security system, courts have deemed the strike illegal and top banana Chiquita Brands fired nearly 5,000 striking workers last month in Panama's western Bocas del Toro province. But nothing has stopped the protests. So at his weekly news briefing Friday, Mulino said he had met with Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa and one of Panama's leading Jewish figures, Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik, to enlist them as intermediaries. He gave Ulloa a personal letter to bring to Francisco Smith, leader of the striking banana workers' union. In the letter, Mulino said, he committed to send proposed legislation to the Congress that would be favorable for the country's banana sector, above all its workers. But he conditioned the proposal on former workers lifting their protest. There was precedent for the maneuver. In 2022, Ulloa brokered a dialogue that eased protests over the high cost of fuel and food. In 2018, Ulloa mediated a dispute between parts of the government. Smith, secretary general of the Banana Industry Workers Union, had said earlier Friday before Mulino's announcement that he was open to dialogue. Union leaders planned to travel to the capital Monday to meet with the president of the National Assembly and present a list of demands. He insisted, however, that changes be made to the social security reform. Smith, who has led the protest in western Bocas del Toro province, has said the social security reform passed in March threatens the special privileges laid out for banana workers in another law, covering things like subsidies and labor protections. The impact has been acute. Chiquita Brands said last month they had lost at least $75 million before announcing a temporary halt to their operations in Panama. Demonstrations have not been limited to the banana workers, to Bocas del Toro or even to the social security changes. At various times teachers, construction workers and students have protested as well. Authorities have said they'll withhold the pay of 15,000 treachers for their strike. On Thursday, border police clashed with protesters who had blocked a highway in eastern Darien province, leaving injured on both sides. In addition to the social security changes, demonstrators have protested a security agreement giving U.S. troops access to some Panamanian facilities and efforts to reopen a massive copper mine.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
Elements of ex-Olympian's drug network ‘remain in place' in Canada: RCMP
Photos released by the FBI show Ryan James Wedding who is wanted on a number of charges. (FBI) The RCMP say they believe Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympian accused of orchestrating a billion-dollar international drug-trafficking organization, still has a presence in Canada. 'There certainly are elements of his network that remain in place,' RCMP Central Region Chief Supt. Chris Leather told reporters on Friday during an unrelated news conference, when asked about the former snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin. 'I couldn't say much more than that at this time because of multiple ongoing investigations involving ourselves and our key policing partners, including Toronto police and the Ontario Provincial Police.' Police in Canada and the U.S. continue to search for Wedding, who is wanted on a number of charges in connection with their investigation into his alleged drug trafficking ring. The RCMP have said Wedding poses 'one of the largest organized crime threats to Canada, even as a fugitive.' In March, Wedding, who goes by the names 'Giant,' 'Public Enemy,' and 'El Jefe,' was added to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations' Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. There is a reward of US$10 million for anyone who can lead investigators to his arrest. At that time, officials said they believed the 2002 Winter Olympics athlete was still in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Earlier this year, U.S. prosecutors alleged Wedding still had access to a 'network of hitmen' as they sought additional protections to keep the identities of confidential informants and cooperating witnesses in the case hidden. Wedding, along with his alleged 'second in command,' Canadian Andrew Clark, is also accused of directing four combined murders in Ontario in furtherance of their alleged drug empire. Their victims include an Indian couple who were shot and killed in Caledon in Nov. 2023, in what police said was a case of mistaken identity. With files from CTV News Toronto's Phil Tsekouras
