Boulder attack victim count grows to at least 15 and 1 dog
The number of victims identified in Sunday's Boulder Molotov attack rose from 12 to 15 people — plus one dog, the Boulder District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: The suspect could face additional charges. Already, he has been charged with a federal hate crime, along with 16 counts of attempted murder in the first degree.
If convicted on his existing charges, it would mean a maximum sentence of 384 years in prison, according to authorities.
Details: The victims include eight females and seven males, per the Boulder DA, ranging in age from 25 to 88.
What they're saying: "We continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local partners in strong response to this horrific attack," District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement.
"We are united in our commitment to pursuing justice for all the victims, their many loved ones, and this community. We stand with the Jewish community and the people of Colorado against hate and terror."
Catch up quick: Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is accused of yelling "Free Palestine!" as he threw Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel demonstrators on Sunday near Boulder's Pearl Street Mall.
During an interview after his arrest, Soliman allegedly told law enforcement he wanted to kill all Zionist people and that he had been planning the attack for a year.
Driving the news: The Department of Homeland Security alleged Soliman was in the country illegally after his B2 visa expired in February 2023.
His wife and five children were taken into custody by ICE on Tuesday "for expedited removal," the White House posted on X.
What's next: The Boulder Jewish Community is hosting a community vigil at 5pm Wednesday to support the victims.
Soliman is scheduled for a formal filing of charges at 3:30pm Thursday local time at the Boulder County Jail courthouse, records show.
He is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday in Denver at 2pm local time, Vikki Migoya, public affairs officer for FBI Denver, confirmed to Axios.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Former Gaza hostage Eli Sharabi discusses details of captivity in new memoir
Eli Sharabi, a former Gaza hostage, shares his story of survival, grief, and resilience after captivity and the loss of his family, revealing previously untold struggles. Former Gaza hostage Eli Sharabi revealed new details about his experience in Hamas captivity in an interview with N12 on Friday, where he discussed the publication of his memoir 'Hostage.' The last time Sharabi was seen in public, he was emaciated and weighed a mere 44 kilograms. "I look better, I feel better. I gained 16 kilos in four months. That's a lot," he told N12. In the interview, Sharabi discussed how grief and trauma fit into his life, stating that he has no flashbacks or nightmares, which psychologists could not explain. "They haven't seen cases oftrauma this severe. And I really did go through multi-trauma: captivity, and also an enormous, enormous loss of my wife and daughters. It's something they can't explain." He spoke about his daughters and wife, explaining that he thought they were still alive when he was released. "When I came back and hear that they were murdered five minutes after I was kidnapped, I can't understand the situation and I demand answers.' he continued that "I want to see them, I want to hug them, I want to draw strength from them, I want to show them that I'm okay, that I'm no longer a poster.' In his book, he wrote that he told the other hostages he was with to focus on the positives every day. "That's the clearest and most natural thing that should happen to us there. It gives us hope and strength,' he told N12. Sharabi discussed how he and the hostages he was with, Alon Ohel, Eli-He Cohen and Or Levi, fought during their captivity. "There are definitely frictions, arguments, and difficult situations, hunger, the fear that you won't survive, and that sometimes brings you to unwanted behaviors,' he said, adding that the fights were mostly over food. "It's the resource that, at least in your eyes, feels the most essential for survival. Every crumb you get into your mouth makes you feel better and that you'll survive better in the future." He discussed the feeling of being handed an Israeli flag upon his release, and spoke about how he chose to wrap it around himself. "For me, it was the most natural and obvious thing to do when I got off the helicopter. I didn't think in that moment what it would do or how it would be perceived. You're waiting, you miss Israeli-ness so, so much,' he said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Musk's efficiency model fails, Israel needs excellence
In a nation known worldwide for innovation, shouldn't our governmental systems reflect the same ingenuity that powers our most successful sectors? Imagine two government offices side by side. In the first, budget cuts eliminate 30% of the staff, forcing the remaining workers to process paperwork faster, yet citizens still wait hours, frustrated and unserved. In the second, a complete digital redesign allows most services to be completed online in minutes, with personalized guidance available for complex cases. Both claim 'efficiency,' but only the second delivers excellence. When Elon Musk took charge of US President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, he promised a revolution in government operations. Within weeks, over 200,000 federal employees were dismissed. 'We are moving fast,' Musk admitted, 'but we'll also fix mistakes quickly.' This bulldozer model captured global attention, including in Israel, where bureaucracy has long been a national punchline. The temptation to import this model is understandable. Yet what Israel needs is not America's DOGE but rather to reimagine the concept entirely, where the 'E' evolves from mere 'Efficiency' to true 'Excellence.' This distinction isn't semantic wordplay. Efficiency asks, 'How can we do the same with less?' Excellence asks, 'How can we create more value for citizens?' The first measure reduced inputs; the second focused on improved outcomes. Excellence often costs less in the long run by eliminating the hidden expenses of poor service: repeated visits, economic opportunities lost to delays, and the massive collective waste of citizens' time. As Israelis, we maintain a consistent expectation that our government should deliver quality services year after year. This social contract is fundamental to our society. We're willing to contribute through taxes and military service, but we expect competent governance in return. The excellence approach recognizes that well-functioning public institutions form the foundation of this mutual commitment and our national resilience. The irony is that Israel, the Start-up Nation, lags dramatically behind in government innovation. The same country that pioneers cutting-edge technologies in cybersecurity, agriculture, and healthcare still processes many government services using methods from the previous century. What the American DOGE does get right is creating a national conversation about government performance. Before DOGE, government reform was largely a technical discussion among experts. Now, it's front-page news. This visibility creates accountability and builds the political will necessary for meaningful change – precisely what Israel's public sector reforms have lacked. Excellence doesn't mean abandoning necessary protections; strong regulatory frameworks safeguard public health, safety, and essential services. The goal isn't to eliminate these safeguards but to redesign them intelligently. Consider business licensing: smart reform maintains high standards while eliminating redundant approvals and creating clear, predictable paths for entrepreneurs. What would an excellence-focused approach look like in practice? The solutions are largely known, and numerous committee reports have outlined necessary reforms for Israel's public service. What's missing isn't ideas but rather the sustained political commitment and public support to implement them. Three key initiatives must take priority. First, government services must be fundamentally redesigned with citizens at the center of the process. This goes beyond mere digitization to rethinking how services are structured and delivered. Estonia offers an instructive example. They've built an integrated digital government platform where services are designed around life events and user needs, not agency structures. Their transformation saves an estimated 2% of GDP annually while dramatically improving citizen satisfaction. The key insight isn't just technology; it's the citizen-centric redesign of the entire service experience. Second, excellence demands investing strategically in our public servants. This means creating diverse entry pathways to attract top talent, ensuring competitive compensation for key positions, and establishing cultures of innovation where continuous improvement is rewarded. Third, we need structured collaboration across sectors. Government doesn't have to solve every problem alone; it can leverage expertise from private industry, civil society, and academia. This multi-sectoral approach enables faster adaptation to evolving challenges while ensuring public services remain relevant and effective. The blueprints for transformation already exist in Israel. What's needed now is the determination to implement them, not through indiscriminate cuts but through thoughtful redesign backed by a genuine political commitment to better service. The citizens of Israel deserve a civil service that matches the excellence they demonstrate in their own fields. In a nation known worldwide for innovation, shouldn't our governmental systems reflect the same ingenuity that powers our most successful sectors? The question isn't whether we can afford such a transformation but whether we can afford to continue without it. The writer is the executive director of Tashtit, which works to promote professional and effective public service in Israel. He is also a member of the leadership team at Eco Memshal, a multi-sectoral space for organizations working to strengthen the public service in Israel.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israel says it has killed leader of Palestinian militant group that took part in October 7 attack
The Israeli military says it has killed the leader of a Palestinian militant group that took part in the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on southern Israel. Asaad Abu Sharia, who led the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement and its armed wing the Mujahideen Brigades, was killed in a joint operation with Israel's Shin Bet security agency, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday. His death and that of his brother Ahmed Abu Sharia were confirmed by the militant group hours after Gaza's Civil Defense reported that an Israeli airstrike had hit their family home in the Sabra area of Gaza City. Hamas run Al-Aqsa TV said the strike killed at least 15 people and injured several. Video showed people searching through the debris of a demolished four-story house. The Mujahideen Brigades took part in the October 7 attacks alongside Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups and took hostage some of the most high-profile captives, including a family whose suffering became a symbol of the attack. According to the Israeli military, Sharia was among the militant leaders who stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza border where many residents were killed or taken hostage during the brutal terror assault that led to Israel's war in Gaza. Despite not being aware of Hamas' plans in advance, fighters from the jihadist group joined in the cross-border assault 'as an extension of the Hamas attack,' the Israeli military said. According to Israel, Sharia was directly involved in the abduction and murders of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas – a family that became one of the most recognizable victims of the attack, partly because of the young ages of Kfir and Ariel, who were nine months and four years old respectively at the time. Kfir was the youngest hostage kidnapped into Gaza and the youngest to have been killed. The boys' mother, Shiri, was 32 at the time of her kidnap. Their father Yarden was also captured, but was released alive in February after 484 days in captivity. Reacting to news of Sharia's killing, the Bibas family expressed their 'heartfelt gratitude' to the Israeli military, saying his death was 'another step on the journey towards closure.' 'While Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir cannot be brought back, we find some measure of comfort knowing these despicable murderers will not harm another family,' the Bibas family said in a statement shared via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Israel's military said Sharia was also involved in the abduction of the Israeli-American couple Gad Haggai and Judi Lynn Weinstein Haggai and the abduction and killing of Thai national Nattapong Pinta. The Israeli-American couple were killed near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the attack in 2023. The body of Nattapong, an agricultural worker who was abducted alive on October 7, was recovered from southern Gaza in a military operation on Friday. Israel said it believes the Mujahideen Brigades are still holding the body of an additional foreign national. The group has previously denied killing their captives.
