Boulder Colorado molotov attack suspect planned assault for a year, waited til daughter graduated, FBI says

West Australian

2 days ago

The suspect accused of attacking a pro-Israeli rally in Boulder, Colorado, had been planning the assault for a year according to new details released by the FBI.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is being held on a range of charges, including assault, use of explosives, and murder in the first degree, though police have said no victims were killed in Sunday's attack.
The FBI affidavit states that Soliman told investigators he 'had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack.'
His daughter's graduation ceremony occurred just days before the incident.
Soliman arrived at the scene at 12.55pm, waiting for the 'Run for Their Lives' group before launching his attack, targeting what he described as 'Zionists,' and telling police he would 'conduct the attack again' if given the chance.
The attack took place at Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, a busy pedestrian area near the University of Colorado, during an event organised by Run for Their Lives, a group focused on raising awareness about hostages taken after Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel.
Witnesses reported that Soliman used a makeshift flamethrower and threw incendiary devices into the crowd, shouting 'Free Palestine!' according to the FBI, which called the incident a 'targeted terror attack'.
Police say Soliman threw two lit Molotov cocktails at individuals in the gathering, causing burn injuries to eight people, four men and four women, aged between 52 and 88.
Among the victims was an 88-year-old Holocaust refugee, according to Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
At the time of his arrest, Soliman was found with at least 14 unused Molotov cocktails, a backpack weed sprayer filled with octane gasoline, a red gas container, and paperwork referencing 'Israel,' 'Palestine,' and 'USAID'.
US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that such attacks would not be tolerated.
'This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland,' he said.
Soliman's most recent job was as an Uber driver, and he had previously worked at Veros Health on a visa that expired in March 2025.
Official records show he had overstayed his visa and his work permit had expired. 'There are millions of individuals like this that we are attempting to locate from the past administration that weren't properly screened that were allowed in,' said Todd Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at a Boston press conference.
Federal prosecutors have charged Soliman with a hate crime offence involving the actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin of his victims.
'No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation,' said US Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon.
The attack was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish people in the US linked to outrage over Israel's escalating military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
It followed the fatal shooting of two Israel embassy aides that took place outside Washington DC's Capital Jewish Museum last month.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the attack, linking it to recent violence against Jewish Americans: 'This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe'.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the administration's stance, saying, 'Rest assured to all Jewish Americans across our great country, this president has your back. He's not going to allow anyone to take part in violent terrorism in our county. These individuals are going to be deported and we're not going to tolerate such violence in our country'.
Court documents reveal that Soliman left hidden messages for his family on an iPhone and kept a journal at his Colorado Springs home, which he shared with his wife and five children. After his arrest, Soliman's wife turned the iPhone over to police.
Soliman is being held on $10 million bail and his court hearing has been delayed.