Colorado attack: Man yelled ‘Free Palestine' as he threw Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel march, FBI say

Yahoo

3 days ago

A flamethrower-wielding suspect yelled 'Free Palestine' while throwing Molotov cocktails at a demonstration in support of Israeli hostages in a 'targeted terror attack' in Boulder, Colorado, says the FBI.
, 45, was arrested after victims were attacked near Pearl Street in Boulder around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, police said. The FBI considers the incident a "targeted act of violence' and is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.
He allegedly used a 'makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device' into the crowd as he shouted 'Free Palestine,' FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek told reporters.
Six people, ranging from 67 to 88 years old, were injured. One of the victims is a Holocaust survivor. Their conditions range from minor to critical, police said. Some of the wounds were consistent with burns.
Witnesses told CBS News that they witnessed someone attacking the peaceful demonstrators with Molotov cocktails.
'Every, every one of the victims I could tell that I saw had skin basically melted or hanging from their, from their legs,' a witness told Fox Denver.
Former FBI agent Bobby Chacon told CNN that because Molotov cocktails can be made from essentially household items, it's unlikely that buying the components would have put the suspect on law enforcement radar.
The suspect is an Egyptian national whose visa expired in March 2025, Trump administration sources told Fox News.
He arrived in the US in August 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport. His last visa was approved for renewal in March 2023.
A senior White House official told The Independent that the president has been briefed on the situation.
'A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien. He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed,' White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said in a post on X.
Ed Victor, who was one of about 30 people participating in the march on Sunday, told CBS News that the group was peacefully walking down Pearl Street when the attack occurred.
"So we stood up, lined up in front of the old Boulder courthouse, and I was actually on the far west side. And there was somebody there that I didn't even notice, although he was making a lot of noise, but I'm just focused on my job of being quiet and getting lined up. And, from my point of view, all of a sudden, I felt the heat. It was a Molotov cocktail equivalent, a gas bomb in a glass jar, thrown,' Victor told the outlet. Another marcher 'saw it, a big flame as high as a tree, and all I saw was someone on fire.'
A host of officials and organizations swiftly condemned Sunday's attack.
Colorado Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse said he's 'praying hard' for the victims. 'We are closely monitoring, and are in contact with local law enforcement regarding the horrific attack on Pearl Street Mall. Praying hard for the victims,' he wrote on X.
The state's Democratic Governor Jared Polis condemned the attack. 'My thoughts go out to the people who have been injured and impacted by this heinous act of terror. Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable. While details emerge, the state works with local and federal law enforcement to support this investigation,' he wrote in a statement.
Colorado Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennett both denounced the attack, each saying there was no place for hate in their home state.
The Boulder Jewish Community issued a joint statement in the wake of the attack. "We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that an incendiary device was thrown at walkers at the Run for Their Lives walk on Pearl Street as they were raising awareness for the hostages still held in Gaza. We don't have all the details of what is unfolding, and we promise to keep our community informed,' the statement read. "Our hearts go out to those who witnessed this horrible attack, and prayers for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.'
The statement continued: 'When events like this enter our own community, we are shaken. Our hope is that we come together for one another. Strength to you all.'
The Anti-Defamation League also issued a statement, saying it's aware of the reports of the attack at Boulder Run for Their Lives event, which the nonprofit described as 'a weekly meeting of Jewish community members to run/walk in support of the hostages kidnapped on 10/7.'