Boulder terror attack witness describes 'horrific' scene at pro-Israel rally
A man who witnessed Sunday afternoon's nightmarish firebombing of a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, described a gruesome scene in an interview with Fox News Digital.
"I was right here… front row and center to this horrific event," Alex Osante, a tourist from San Diego, said Monday. "The terrorist, or the man – perpetrator – threw a Molotov cocktail and lit five people on fire. One of the persons was lit head to toe, and the other four people were severely burned. It was really sad. Very sad."
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, an Egyptian national in the United States illegally on an expired work visa, is suspected in the attack that took place at the Pearl Street Mall.
Boulder Terror Attack Suspect Showed Signs Of Growing 'Lone-wolf' Radicalization, Says Former Fbi Supervisor
Osante said he and other bystanders called first responders and helped the victims during the attack, but they did not know the exact nature of the attack at the time. He surmised that it could have been a mass shooting, or that someone could have set off a grenade.
After viewing his own video of the attack, Osante said what he witnessed fell into place.
Read On The Fox News App
He said that the suspect came out of the bushes wearing a yellow vest and shirt with Molotov cocktails in each hand.
"And he threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman, but when he threw the Molotov cocktail, he lit himself on fire," Osante said. "After he lit himself on fire, he came back, he took off his vest, which looked like a bulletproof vest, and the shirt."
He described the suspect retreating to the bushes and grabbing two more Molotov cocktails, before standing menacingly and surveying the scene while the chaos ensued.
Boulder Illegal Immigrant Terror Suspect's 'Possible Radicalization' Probed By Authorities: Retired Fbi Agent
Osante said he's been to 87 countries and described the attack as "the most crazy, horrific incident I've ever seen." He said he returned to the location on Monday because he wanted to see the scene in a "state of normalcy."
"Even though it was crazy, the good thing about it was that people from all different backgrounds and cultures and ethnicities came together as quickly as possible so they could help provide water and treatment and call 911 so that everything could return back to normal, and … find out who it was and stop the person from doing what he was doing."
The pro-Israel advocates gathered on Sunday for a Run for Their Lives event, a run/walk to raise awareness about Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity. The victims ranged in age from 52 to 88, and one of them was left in critical condition.
Soliman first arrived in the United States on a non-immigrant visa in August 2022. That visa expired in February 2023, but he remained in the country. He received a work permit from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in March 2023 that was valid through March of this year. He once again overstayed his visa and was in the country illegally during Sunday's attack.
He has been charged federally with a hate crime.
He has been charged in Colorado with murder in the first degree – deliberation with intent – criminal attempt; murder in the first degree – extreme indifference – criminal attempt; crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; first-degree assault – non-family; first-degree assault – heat of passion; criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies; and use of explosives or incendiary devices during felony.
He remains in the Boulder County Jail on $10 million bond.Original article source: Boulder terror attack witness describes 'horrific' scene at pro-Israel rally
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 minutes ago
- New York Post
‘America's cop' Bernie Kerik remembered as ‘raw, real' family man at NYC funeral
Thousands of people flooded St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on Friday to pay their final respects to 'America's Cop' Bernie Kerik, remembering him as a hero who 'took command' on 9/11. The former NYPD commissioner was eulogized by his son, Joey Kerik, as a steadfast family man even during his high-profile career leading the city's police department through the terror attacks. 'He was raw, real, everything you'd want in a dad,' Joey said, speaking to pews packed with the Big Apple's top leaders. 4 Dignitaries including Mayor Eric Adams attend Friday's funeral for former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. GC Images 'As a man in the limelight, there's nothing he loved more than his children,' Joey said. But Kerik also put 'his whole heart' into his demanding job, facing the struggles of his role head-on both during Sept. 11, 2001, and in post-terror attack New York City, the son said. 'He took command, didn't flinch or retreat,' said Joey, 41, who followed in his father's footsteps into law enforcement and currently serves on the Newark SWAT team. 'He always told me how proud he was of me. The one thing I never got to say to him was how proud I was of him,' the son said. Dozens of dignitaries were in attendance to honor the life of Kerik, who died Thursday after he was hospitalized with cardiac disease. He was 69. FBI Director Kash Patel and his wife were among the mourners, as was former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who named Kerik to the top cop job in 2000, and his son, Andrew. Giuliani was seen rubbing elbows with Kerik's successor, former top city cop Ray Kelly. Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jennifer Tisch were among those lined up in front of flag-bearers before Kerik's coffin was brought into the church. Deputy Mayor Randy Maestro and Deputy NYPD Commissioner Tania Kinsella joined the crowd, too. 4 Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whom Kerik served under as NYPD commish, attends the funeral with his son Andrew. GC Images 4 Kerik died Thursday after he was hospitalized with cardiac disease. He was 69. AFP via Getty Images 'The quote, 'Courage is an uncommon virtue,' applies today as we commemorate D-Day and celebrate the life of Commissioner Bernard Kerik, the man whose courage saved lives, delivered a city from its worst attack and helped elect the man who is saving America, President Trump,' Giuliani wrote on X on Friday. 4 FBI Director Kash Patel lines up ahead of the flag-bearers for the service. GC Images A procession to the famed cathedral before the ceremony included motorcycles, a marching band and dozens of NYPD officers. Kerik had a storied career that earned him the nickname the 'Beat Cop Commissioner' for his hands-on leadership style, making five arrests during his 16-month tenure as commissioner, including one involving two ex-convicts in Harlem driving a stolen van. His law enforcement career spanned four decades and involved national security work and helming the NYPD during 9/11, overseeing its response, rescue, recovery and investigative efforts in the aftermath. Kerik is survived by his wife, Hala Matil Kerik, and three children, including a son with ex-wife Jacqueline Llerena.
UPI
8 minutes ago
- UPI
Mahmoud Khalil offers declaration, describes damages to his life
June 6 (UPI) -- Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate detained by the Trump administration in March for deportation over his pro-Palestinian views, offered a public declaration that details what he's experienced since his arrest. In a case document filed Thursday, Khalil listed what he described as the "irreparable harms" he has suffered, which he claimed have affected several parts of his life that "include dignitary and reputational harm, personal and familial hardship, including constant fear for personal safety, continued detention, restrictions on my freedom of expression, and severe damage to my professional future." The declaration, which was made from inside the LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, La., where Khalil has been held since March 9, puts focus on the birth of his son, which happened during his incarceration. "Instead of holding my wife's hand in the delivery room, I was crouched on a detention center floor, whispering through a crackling phone line as she labored alone." Khalil described. "I listened to her pain, trying to comfort her while 70 other men slept around me. When I heard my son's first cries, I buried my face in my arms so no one would see me weep." Khalil described that the first time he saw his son was through a window, and the first time he held him was in an immigration courtroom, to which his wife had to travel ten hours to reach, with their newborn. "I speak to her as often as possible, but these conversations are not private, everything is monitored by the government," Khalil said, which makes it impossible for them to comfortably speak freely. "We leave so much unsaid, and that silence weighs heavily on both of us." Khalil said that not only has the situation been "devastating" for him, but that his wife has dealt with harassment since his arrest. Khalil further described the anguish of seeing Trump administration officials post statements and photos of him on social media that he purports as "accompanied by inflammatory language, grotesque and false accusations, and open celebration of my deportation." Khalil expressed concern for his future as well. He said he was hired by the nonprofit equality-focused Oxfam International group only days before his arrest as a Palestine and Middle East/ North Africa policy advisor, and was scheduled to start work in April, but the job offer was formally revoked. He says "I strongly believe" his arrest and continued detention is the reason for this. He added that should the charges against him stand, "the harm to my professional career would be career-ending." Khalil further worried his arrest would result in a lifetime of "being flagged, delayed, or denied when traveling, applying for visas, or engaging with consular authorities anywhere in the world," and not just him, but his wife and son. His mother had also applied for a visa in March to visit the United States to see their child be born, and although that was approved, the U.S. embassy returned her passport without a stamp, and now her case is under "administrative processing," and remains unapproved. Khalil's elderly father, whom he describes as "severely disabled," lives in Germany, and he ponders whether any country allied with the United States will ever grant him entry should the charges stand. Khalil detailed the allegations under which he has been held for deportation, which not only did he deny as testimony at his May immigration court hearing, at which he purports "The government attorneys did not ask me any questions regarding these issues." However, Khalil maintained his greatest concern of all is a determination by Secretary of State Marco Rubio based on a law that an "alien" can be deported should his presence in the United States "have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." "I understand that the Rubio Determination is not only a ground for deportation, but it is also a bar to entry," said Khalil. "In other words, no matter what happens to the other charge against me, it is the Rubio Determination that will make this country, the country of my wife and child, a country I cannot return to in the future."
Los Angeles Times
10 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Two foreign nationals charged with stalking a Los Angeles artist who criticized Xi Jinping
Two foreign nationals were charged with stalking a Los Angeles-based artist who has criticized Chines President Xi Jinping, federal officials said. Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the U.K. and a U.S. lawful permanent resident, were charged with interstate stalking, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, smuggling and violating the Arms Export Control Act, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California. 'The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America,' said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino in the release. 'The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China.' If convicted, Cui and Miller face up to five years in prison for conspiracy, five years for interstate stalking, 20 for violating the Arms Export Control Act and 10 years for smuggling. According to court documents, Cui and Miller allegedly employed two people, who they didn't know were acting on the direction of the FBI, to carry out a plot to stop someone from protesting Xi's appearance at the the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The victim, who wasn't named in the release, had previously publicly criticized Xi and China's government. Cui and Miller had the alleged victim surveiled, had a tracking device installed on their car, slashed the tires on the car and bought and destroyed statues created by the victim showing Xi and Xi's wife, according to the release. In the spring of 2025, the victim announced that he planned to publicize an online feed showing the two statues; Cui and Miller allegedly paid two other people $36,500 to convince the victim not to display the statues, officials wrote. Those two people were also working with the FBI. Starting in November 2023, Miller and Cui allegedly procured U.S. defense articles, including air defense radar, drones, missiles and cryptographic devices in order to unlawfully export them from the U.S. to China. They talked with two other people how to export the device, including hiding it in a blender, motor starter, small electronics or shipping it to Hong Kong. Cui and Miller allegedly paid about $10,000 as a deposit for the cryptographic device through a courier in the U.S. and wire transfer to a U.S. bank account, officials said.
