U.S. Capitol Police officers have arrested a suspect who claimed to be carrying a Molotov cocktail and a knife
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The United States Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., have reported the arrest of a suspect near the East Plaza, close to the ramp leading to the south door of the U.S. Capitol Building.
The suspect allegedly claimed to possess a Molotov cocktail and a knife.
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Nahar Net
7 days ago
- Nahar Net
US judge halts deportation of Egyptian family of Boulder firebombing suspect
by Naharnet Newsdesk 05 June 2025, 11:15 A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the government to immediately halt deportation proceedings against the family of a man charged in the firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, to ensure the protection of the family's constitutional rights. U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher granted a request from the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who are Egyptian, to block their deportation. U.S. immigration officials took the family into custody Tuesday. Soliman, 45, has been charged with a federal hate crime and state counts of attempted murder in Sunday's attack in downtown Boulder. Witnesses say he threw two Molotov cocktails at a group demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, and authorities say he confessed to the attack in custody. His family members have not been charged. Federal authorities have said Soliman has been living in the U.S. illegally, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said earlier Wednesday that the family was being processed for removal. It's rare that a criminal suspect's family members are detained and threatened with deportation. "It is patently unlawful to punish individuals for the crimes of their relatives," attorneys for the family wrote in the lawsuit. Eric Lee, one of the attorney's representing the family, said efforts to deport them should not happen in a democracy. "The punishment of a four-year-old child for something their parent allegedly did, who also has a presumption of innocence, is something that should outrage Americans regardless of their citizenship status," he said. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the plaintiff's claims as "absurd" and "an attempt to delay justice." "Just like her criminal husband, she and her children are here illegally and are rightfully in ICE custody for removal as a result," she said in a statement. Witnesses describe attack at vigil Around 200 people squeezed into the local Jewish Community Center on Wednesday evening for a vigil that featured prayer, songs, a short speech by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses to the attack. Rachelle Halpern, who has been walking with the group since 2023, said she remembers thinking it was strange to see a man with a canister looking like he was going to spray pesticide on the grass. Then she heard a crash and screams and saw flames around her feet. "A woman stood one foot behind me, engulfed in flames from head to toe, lying on the ground with her husband," she said. "People immediately, three or four men immediately rushed to her to smother the flames." Her description prompted murmurs from the audience members. One woman's head dropped into her hands. "I heard a loud noise, and the back of my legs burning, and don't remember those next few moments," said a victim, who didn't want to be identified and spoke off camera, over the event's speakers. "Even as I was watching it unfold before my eyes, even then, it didn't seem real." Defendant's family investigated Soliman's wife, Hayam El Gamal, a 17-year-old daughter, two minor sons and two minor daughters all are Egyptian citizens, according to El Gamal's lawsuit. They were being held at an immigration detention center in Texas, Lee said. "We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it," Noem said in a statement. Noem also said federal authorities would immediately crack down on people who overstay their visas, following the Boulder attack. Soliman told authorities that no one, including his family, knew about his planned attack, according to court documents. El Gamal said she was "shocked" to learn her husband had been arrested in the attack, according to her lawsuit. Victims increase to 15 people and a dog Earlier Wednesday, authorities raised the number of people injured in the attack to 15 from 12, plus a dog. Boulder County officials said in a news release that the victims include eight women and seven men ranging in age from 25 to 88. Details about how the victims were impacted would be explained in criminal charges set to be filed Thursday, according to Boulder County District Attorney's office spokesperson Shannon Carbone. Soliman had planned to kill all of the roughly 20 participants in Sunday's demonstration at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but he threw just two of his 18 Molotov cocktails while yelling "Free Palestine," police said. Soliman didn't carry out his full plan "because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before," police wrote in an affidavit. According to an FBI affidavit, Soliman told 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. Authorities said he expressed no remorse about the attack. The family's immigration status Before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, Soliman spent 17 years in Kuwait, according to court documents. Soliman arrived in the U.S. in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023, McLaughlin said in a post on X. She said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023, but that has also expired. Hundreds of thousands of people overstay their visas each year in the United States, according to Department of Homeland Security reports. Soliman's wife was born in Saudi Arabia and is an Egyptian national, according to her lawsuit. She is a network engineer and has a pending EB-2 visa, which is available to professionals with advanced degrees, the suit said. She and her children all are listed as dependents on Soliman's asylum application. The case against Soliman Soliman told authorities that he had been planning the attack for a year, the affidavit said. Soliman is being held in a county jail on a $10 million cash bond and is scheduled to make an appearance in state court on Thursday. His attorney, Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after a state court hearing Monday. Public defenders' policy prohibits speaking to the media. The attack unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled "Free Palestine" was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.
Nahar Net
03-06-2025
- Nahar Net
Suspect faces US hate charges after fire attack on Jewish protest
by Naharnet Newsdesk 03 June 2025, 11:06 A man posing as a gardener to get close to a group in Boulder holding their weekly demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza planned to kill them all with Molotov cocktails, authorities said Monday. But he had second thoughts and only threw two out of the 18 incendiary devices he had into the group of about 20 people, yelling "Free Palestine" and accidentally burning himself, police said. Twelve people were injured in the Sunday attack. He had gas in a backpack sprayer but told investigators he didn't spray it on anyone but himself "because he had planned on dying." "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." Mohamed 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. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled "Free Palestine" was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Six victims hospitalized The victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88, and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said. All four of the latest victims had what police described as minor injuries. Six of the injured were taken to hospitals, and four have since been released, said Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organizer connected to the group. She said the clothing of one of those who remains hospitalized caught on fire. The volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding their weekly demonstration when video from the scene shows a witness shouting, "He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails." A police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand. Witness Alex Osante of San Diego said he was across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking and a "boom" followed by people yelling and screaming. In video of the scene captured by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. Molotov cocktails found Soliman said he dressed up like gardener with an orange vest in order to get as close to the group as possible, police wrote. Osante said that after the suspect threw the two incendiary devices, apparently catching himself on fire as he threw the second, he took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video Osante filmed. District Attorney Michael Dougherty said 16 unused Molotov cocktails were recovered by law enforcement. The devices were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the them, the FBI said. Soliman told investigators he constructed the devices after doing research on YouTube and buying the ingredients. "He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack," the affidavit says. Soliman also told investigators he took a concealed carry class and tried to buy a gun but was denied because he is not a legal U.S. citizen. Suspect hospitalized after attack Authorities said they believe Soliman acted alone. He was also injured and taken to a hospital. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, but a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear. In video and photos shot right after the attack by a woman at the gathering, Soliman can be seen pacing without his shirt on with what appears to be burns down one of his arms. He and a small group of people around him are screaming at each other, with some witnesses filming him. Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved to Colorado Springs three years ago, where he lived with his wife and five kids, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. Shameka Pruiett knew Soliman and his wife as kindly neighbors with three young kids and two teenagers who'd play with Pruiett's kids. Another neighbor, Kierra Johnson, said she could often hear shouting at night from his apartment and once called police because of the screaming and yelling. On Sunday, Pruiett saw law enforcement vehicles waiting on the street throughout the day until the evening, when they spoke through a megaphone telling anyone in Soliman's home to come out. Nobody came out and it did not appear anyone was inside, said Pruiett.
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-05-2025
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Thwarted terror attack at Lady Gaga's concert in Rio
A bomb attack was thwarted during a mega concert by star Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, and two people suspected of being involved have been arrested, authorities announced Sunday. About two million people swarmed the iconic Copacabana beach into the early hours to listen to the American diva, according to city officials, under the watch of an impressive security deployment. The civil police of Rio de Janeiro announced in a statement that, in collaboration with the Justice Ministry, they had 'prevented a bomb attack that was supposed to occur during Lady Gaga's show at Copacabana.' The attempted attack had been orchestrated by a group that 'spread hate speech' and promoted the radicalization of adolescents and self-harm on digital platforms, according to police. The assailants designed this plan as a 'collective challenge' to gain notoriety on social media, said the police. The project targeted children, adolescents, and the LGBTQ+ community, a group strongly represented among the hundreds of thousands of Lady Gaga fans in Rio. The 'leader of the group' and 'responsible for the plan' was arrested in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (south) while illegally carrying a firearm. A teenager is also in custody in Rio de Janeiro. As part of Operation 'Fake Monster,' police conducted 13 searches in several cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, as well as in São Paulo (southeast), Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso (west). They had previously given the figure of 15. 'Those involved recruited participants to promote attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,' the police further stated. 'Sick with fear' The American singer posted on X after these revelations a message that does not mention the thwarted attack: 'Your heart shines so much, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historic moment with you.' Her fans, affectionately called 'little monsters,' took to social media to express their relief at the police's reaction. 'Thank god. This would have shocked more than two million people,' said the LadyGagaFansTogether account on Instagram. Another fan reacted: 'I am literally sick with fear for her (Lady Gaga) safety.' 'The police acted quietly and without creating panic ... We acted surgically to ensure the crime did not happen,' explained Felipe Curi, a Rio civil police official, as cited in a note from the institution. City authorities, who also hope for economic benefits exceeding $100 million, aim to establish this tradition of the free mega-concert in May to boost tourism during a period considered the low season. Lady Gaga kicked off the evening, perched more than six feet above the stage in a scarlet dress, singing her 2011 hit 'Bloody Mary' to a delirious crowd. The American pop diva, who hadn't performed in Brazil since a tour in 2012, followed with 'Abracadabra,' one of the main tracks from her latest album, 'Mayhem,' released in March. Mid-song, Lady Gaga removed her red dress to reveal another one in the colors of the Brazilian flag.
