Holocaust survivor among 8 victims after bulletproof vest-clad Mohamed Sabry Soliman ‘ambushed group with flamethrower'

The Sun

4 days ago

A HOLOCAUST survivor was one of eight people attacked in what police are calling a terrorist attack in Colorado on Sunday.
The attack happened as a group peacefully gathered to raise awareness of the Israeli hostages in Gaza at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado.
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A man, now identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, went behind some bushes during the weekly gathering and allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail into the crowd.
He appeared to have caught himself on fire during the attack and took off his shirt, revealing what looked to be a bulletproof vest underneath.
Soliman also used a makeshift flamethrower to set several people on fire while yelling "Free Palestine!"
Eight people between the ages of 52 to 88 were injured in the attack, including a Holocaust survivor described as an "amazing person" by her friends.
"She speaks -- she has spoken at our synagogues as well as other synagogues and schools just about her background and the Holocaust and from her own perspective," Chany Scheiner, a friend of the victim, told local NBC affiliate KUSA-TV.
"She is passionate about standing up for good things and she is an extremely exceptional person.
"Always a smile on her face. Her life wasn't easy, but she is just a bright light. And anybody who is her friend is a friend for life.
SICK CRIME
Soliman, 45, is facing several felony charges and is expected to appear in court on Monday afternoon, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
His charges include one count of explosive or incendiary devices used during a felony and two counts of first-degree assault.
During the horrific scene, people rushed to help the victims, dousing them with water while Soliman was still nearby, according to witness accounts.
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Video of the attack showed one woman severely injured as bystanders poured water on her.
A local store owner, who didn't want to be named, told CNN that he saw big flames as people screamed.
"There were people on the ground and a bunch of others running over with buckets and bottles and whatever they could carry water in," the owner said.
"Everyone was dumping water on the burned people, especially one woman on the ground who was totally torched from her hair to her legs."
Chillingly, the store owner told the outlet that Soliman appeared "pretty calm" during the attack.
"He would spray the liquid and spread the fire. It was pretty intense, honestly."
The Department of Homeland Security also revealed that Soliman was in the US illegally after entering the country on a B2 Visa that expired in February 2023.
He previously applied for asylum in the US and tried to enter the country in 2005, but his Visa was denied, reported CNN.
The attack comes less than a week after a man was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.
LEADERS CONDEMN THE ATTACK
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Monday, saying he and his wife were praying for the full recovery of the victims.
"This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews," he said.
Netanyahu added that he's confident the US would "prosecute the cold-blooded perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law."
Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett promised that justice would be served in a statement on X.
"I am saddened and outraged at the appalling attack on members of Boulder's Jewish community that happened today during a peaceful gathering on Pearl Street," he wrote.
"I'm confident that working with our law enforcement partners we will be able to ensure that a full investigation is made and justice will be served."
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