Boulder survivor recounts desperation trying to help woman on fire
Ed Victor had just finished the Run for Their Lives walk and was with group members gathering outside the Boulder, Colorado, courthouse on Sunday afternoon when he said he heard a crash, felt heat -- and then saw a woman on fire.
'My focus got extremely narrow at that time. I didn't notice anything else," Victor said at a news conference Wednesday with political and faith leaders outside the courthouse.
"I was worried about that woman," he said, "and I'll tell you, when someone is on fire, it takes too long to put them out."
MORE: Boulder attack latest: Number of victims climbs to 15
Victor said he and the other walk participants frantically looked around for what they had to help extinguish the flames: flags and a banner.
Fifteen people ranging in age from 25 to 88 years old were hurt in the Molotov cocktail attack, prosecutors said. Some victims were "very seriously burned," Rabbi Mark Soloway said at the news conference.
The suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, allegedly yelled "Free Palestine" during the attack, the FBI said. He was arrested at the scene and has been charged with a federal hate crime and state charges, including 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder, officials said.
Soliman allegedly said he intentionally targeted Run for Their Lives, a peaceful group comprised of Jews and non-Jews who participate in weekly walks to raise awareness about the hostages in Gaza, according to court documents.
Soliman told police "he wanted to kill all Zionist people," court documents said.
He "said this had nothing to do with the Jewish community and was specific in the Zionist group supporting the killings of people on his land (Palestine)," documents said.
Political and faith leaders strongly condemned the attack at Wednesday's news conference.
"Antisemitism, violence and hate have no home in Colorado," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said. "We will not be silenced or scared. We will not let the demons of hate define us."
"The whole Jewish community is reeling, shocked that this hideous hate crime could happen right here in downtown, beautiful Boulder, Colorado," Soloway said. "And yet, we have seen this coming ... Jews here and all over America and all over the world have not been feeling safe."
The Boulder attack comes at a time of heightened violence against the Jewish community.
In April, a suspected arsonist firebombed Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's official residence because of "what [the governor] wants to do to the Palestinian people," according to a search warrant signed by Pennsylvania State Police. The suspect was arrested.
On May 21, two Israeli Embassy staff members were killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. When the suspect was arrested, he began to chant, "free, free Palestine," according to police.
Two days after the D.C. attack, the Department of Homeland Security warned in a bulletin that the Israel-Hamas conflict "continues to inspire violence and could spur radicalization or mobilization to violence against targets perceived as supporting Israel."
MORE: Colorado attack comes amid record incidents of antisemitic and Islamophic hate crimes
The Anti-Defamation League has documented a dramatic rise in acts of hate targeting Jewish people in the U.S. since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel. In 2024, the ADL said it recorded a record high of 9,354 antisemitic incidents in the U.S., marking a 344% increase over the past five years and a 893% increase over the past 10 years.
"I am angry," Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, said at Wednesday's news conference.
'It's way past time for our political leaders, community groups, media outlets, tech platforms, faith leaders to take action before more Jewish blood is spilled. And it's way past time to stop excusing antisemitic rhetoric," he said.
Greenblatt urged the public to speak out against hate, sharing small, specific actions people can take.
"Flag a hateful post, sign a petition, attend a service, make a comment in city council," he said.
Soliman appeared in court virtually on Monday. He has yet to enter a plea. He'll return to court Thursday on the state charges.
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CNN
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Colorado antisemitic attack suspect to appear in federal court on Friday amid widespread fear over antisemitic attacks
Crime The Middle EastFacebookTweetLink Follow The Egyptian man accused of carrying out an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, is set to appear in federal court on Friday – a day after he was charged with 28 counts of attempted murder in connection to a firebombing that has sparked widespread fear across the Jewish community. Mohamed Soliman, 45, allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire during a downtown event held in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The attack occurred on the eve of Shavuot, a Jewish holiday, and less than two weeks after a separate antisemitic attack in Washington, DC, where two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot dead. In a Public Service Announcement Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security highlighted 'potential public safety concerns related to ongoing threats to Jewish and Israeli communities.' Soliman faces a federal hate crime charge in connection with the Boulder attack, an affidavit shows. He faces life in prison if convicted of the federal charge, acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado J. Bishop Grewell said Monday. On Thursday, Soliman appeared in court from a room in the Boulder County Jail before Colorado District Judge Nancy Salomone to face state charges. Wearing an orange zip-up jacket, Soliman nodded in response to the judge's questions. He faces 118 counts, including 28 counts of first-degree attempted murder, according to court documents filed in the Boulder District Court. Soliman also faces counts of felony assault, incendiary device charges, along with one count of animal cruelty, the document shows. CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment. A total of 62 of those counts relate to the victims. If convicted, Soliman could face up to 48 years in prison for each victim, said Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Colorado's 20th Judicial District. The attack injured at least 15 people – including a Holocaust survivor – as well as a dog. The victims included eight women and seven men between the ages of 25 and 88, according to the FBI, with several suffering severe burns. Three victims remained hospitalized as of Thursday, Dougherty said. He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on his state charges on July 15. During the attack, Soliman reportedly yelled 'Free Palestine,' according to the FBI and later told authorities that 'he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' an affidavit said. Authorities are investigating whether Soliman has any underlying mental health issues, a source familiar with the investigation previously told CNN. Investigators are also examining a notebook left behind by Soliman, which includes a manifesto written in English with some lines in Arabic, according to a law enforcement source. Police recovered the notebook after Soliman directed them to its location. Investigators are also reviewing videos Soliman recorded on his phone, featuring him speaking in both English and Arabic, the source said. One such video, which has surfaced on social media, appears to show Soliman speaking in Arabic while driving. CNN has not independently confirmed the video's authenticity. The attack is one of multiple recent incidents that has increased fear among the Jewish community in the US. 'The ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters,' the FBI and DHS warned in their public service announcement. 'Foreign terrorist organizations also may try to exploit narratives related to the conflict to inspire attacks in the United States,' the announcement said. The agencies urged the public to remain vigilant and report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett and interfaith leaders gathered Wednesday to denounce the attack and call for unity, according to a news release. 'Violence in any form has no place in Colorado, and we know that to move forward we must join together in our common humanity to ensure peace in our communities, take care of one another, and emerge stronger,' Polis said in a statement.
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