Family of Colorado fire-bomb suspect taken into ICE custody
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a social media video post that ICE had taken into custody the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who lived in Colorado Springs and who federal officials have said was in the U.S. illegally, having overstayed a tourist visa and an expired work permit.
Noem said while Soliman will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, federal agents were also "investigating to what extent his family knew about this horrific attack – if they had any knowledge of it or if they provided any support for it."
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for more details about the detention of Soliman's family.
According to local media reports, Soliman's family included two teenagers and three younger children. FBI and police officials had said on Monday that the family has cooperated with investigators. The suspect told investigators he acted alone.
Department of Homeland Security officials said Soliman entered the United States in August 2022 on a tourist visa, filed for asylum the following month, and remained in the country after his visa expired in February 2023.
The Sunday attack in Boulder, Colorado, injured a dozen people, many of them elderly. The attack targeted people taking part in an event organized by Run for Their Lives, an organization devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized during Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel.
Soliman, 45, told investigators that he wanted to "kill all Zionist people" but had delayed committing the attack until after his daughter graduated from high school, according to state and federal court documents charging him with attempted murder, assault and a federal hate crime.
Police and FBI affidavits quoted the suspect as saying he took firearms training to obtain a concealed-carry permit but ended up using Molotov cocktails because his noncitizen status blocked him from buying guns. Soliman told investigators that he had learned how to make the fire bombs from YouTube.
A police affidavit filed in support of Soliman's arrest warrant said he was born in Egypt, lived in Kuwait for 17 years and moved three years ago to Colorado Springs, about 100 miles (161 km) south of Boulder, where he lived with his wife and five children.
Federal and local authorities said at a Monday news conference in Boulder that Soliman had done nothing to draw law enforcement attention before Sunday's attack. He was believed to have acted alone, they said.
An affidavit said the suspect "threw two lit Molotov cocktails at individuals participating in the pro-Israel gathering," yelling, "Free Palestine" as they ignited in the crowd.
The attack was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish Americans linked to outrage over Israel's escalating military offensive in Gaza. It followed the fatal shooting of two Israel Embassy aides that took place outside Washington's Capital Jewish Museum last month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Marriott does not deny a hotel in its portfolio was used to detain families for Ice
Marriott, the hospitality giant, has not disputed recent revelations that a Louisiana hotel in its portfolio was used to detain migrant families before deportation, which contradicts a 2019 policy that it would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). In a new statement to the Guardian, the company suggested that its 'acceptance of business' did not mean it supported the Trump administration's immigration policies. The Guardian reported on Tuesday that a Sheraton hotel in the city of Alexandria, situated close to a major Ice deportation hub, has been used to hold family groups before they are removed from the US. The Sheraton brand is owned by Marriott International. Marriott did not initially respond to multiple requests for comment from the Guardian, but issued a three-sentence statement on Wednesday evening. 'Our hotels provide public accommodation and event space, but are not designed or intended to serve as detention centers,' a Marriott spokesperson said. 'Acceptance of business does not indicate support or endorsement of any group or individual. The property you have reached out about is operated by a third party, not Marriott International.' According to Marriott franchise documents, the company 'seeks to do business with franchisees that share our values'. 'Our franchisees are an integral part of our business and play a vital role in upholding the reputation of Marriott's brands for excellence … ,' the document states. The Guardian's report followed an article in the Intercept tracking the case of a father and his teenage son who were deported to Ecuador earlier this month after being arrested in New York. Phone tracking data cited by the Intercept and later seen by the Guardian confirmed the pair had been held at the Sheraton Four Points in Alexandria during their detention in Louisiana. A source with knowledge of hotel operations in the city indicated the venue has been used by Ice to detain families and unaccompanied minors since it was renovated in 2023. In 2019, during Donald Trump's first term, Marriott rejected the idea that any of its hotels or properties – which include Sheraton and Courtyard hotels – would be used by Ice to detain immigrants. It made the statement at a time when the Trump administration was calling for a mass roundup of undocumented immigrants. Citing anonymous sources, ABC News reported at the time that administration officials had internally discussed the possibility that they might need hotel rooms because of limited capacity at Ice detention centers. 'Our hotels are not configured to be detention facilities, but to be open to guests and community members as well. While we have no particular insights into whether the US government is considering the use of hotels to aid in the situation at the border, Marriott has made the decision to decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities,' a company spokesperson said in July 2019, according to ABC News. Do you have a tip on this story? Please contact a Guardian reporter on Signal at 646-886-8761
The Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Sun
Family tear themselves apart in court over teen arrested for murdering parents as they fight for AND against her release
THE family of a teen accused of shooting dead her two parents was torn apart in court as they fought for and against the girl's bond release. Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, was arrested on suspicion of murdering her mum, Kristin Brock, 41, and stepdad, James Brock, 45, in the family home in February. 6 6 6 She attended court for it to be decided whether she would remain locked up until her trial, with some family in support while others warned Sarah would flee from the justice system. Sarah's five-year-old sister discovered Kristin and James's bodies and it was Sarah who then called 911, according to Fox 5. In the days following their deaths, Sarah put out pleas for information about their killer on social media. But in a shocking twist, the teen handed herself in on July 8, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. In the emotional, two-hour bond hearing, advocates for Sarah described her as a church-girl without any criminal history. Her pastor told the court she had "made a personal decision to be baptized" and "continued to attend services regularly". The pastor revealed that Sarah often calls him from jail to pray. Another supporter said: "Hurting someone simply isn't in her nature or character," adding: "she remained incredibly kind, respectful and especially patient". Sarah's biological father, Doniel 'DJ' Patrick, has vehemently defended his daughter on social media, and insists she is not behind the brutal killings. His girlfriend, Katie, told the Daily Mail: "Sarah Grace maintains her innocence, we believe her." Unsettling twist in missing boy Emmanuel Haro case as uncle's brazen cover-up of girlfriend's murder is revealed DJ told friends ahead of the hearing that he believed it would be a "great day", but broke down in court wearing a "I stand with Sarah Grace" t-shirt. But prosecutors and argued that if Sarah was allowed to leave jail she could try to run away or intimidate witnesses. Kim Bowling, James's sister, told the judge: "If the defendant can kill her own parents in such a violent manner, I fear for my own safety and the safety of my family and friends. "I urge you to consider this in your decision." 6 6 Trysten Brock, Sarah's stepbrother, warned that she would "absolutely attempt to flee rather than stand trial if given the opportunity". In the end, Judge Dustin Hightower sided with the prosecution and ordered Sarah to be held without bond. He said that she posted a "significant flight risk" and a "risk of witness intimidation". The judge continued: "This is not daytime 'Court TV,' and this is not for entertainment. "We're here to simply apply the law and I'm going to do that to the best of my ability."
The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Immigration raid in New Jersey results in dozens of warehouse workers detained
Dozens of immigrant workers were detained at a warehouse in New Jersey on Wednesday, in the latest federal raid as part of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) descended on the warehouse, in Edison, New Jersey, at 9am on Wednesday, the New York Times reported. Officers led some workers away in zip ties, employees told the Times, while people they deemed to have legal status in the US were given yellow wristbands. Univision reported that the agents spent hours at the facility, during what CBP said was a 'surprise inspection'. CBP told Univision the operation had begun as part of 'routine efforts' to verify customs, employment and safety regulations. CBP did not immediately respond to questions from the Guardian. Videos taken by New Labor, a New Jersey-based labor and immigration reform organization, showed CBP vehicles at the site, along with unmarked SUVs. New Labor said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents were also at the raid. 'We have customs and border patrol holding the door open for their Ice counterparts to say they're allowed in with us, and then they start doing immigration-related actions,' Amanda Dominguez, an organizer at New Labor, told News 12 New York. 'That is illegal. Ice still needs their own judicial warrant signed by a judge.' Relatives of the workers gathered at the facility throughout the day, the Times reported, waiting for news about people inside. 'People were very upset and crying and angry, completely understandably,' said Ellen Whit, who works at Deportation & Immigrant Response Equipo (Dire), a New Jersey hotline that responds to calls about raids and from relatives of immigrants who have been detained, told the Times. 'One girl's father was taken. She was very, very upset.' Workers described a chaotic scene as federal agents arrived. About 20 agents entered through the front door of the warehouse, witnesses told the Times, while other agents blocked alternative exits. Some people were injured amid the chaos, while others hid in the rafters of the warehouse for hours in an attempt to avoid the officers. The raid comes weeks after 20 people were taken into custody by Ice at the Alba Wine and Spirits warehouse in Edison. Activists told Fox 5 NY that masked Ice agents arrived that the warehouse in 30 cars, with K-9 dogs. Phil Murphy, the Democratic governor of New Jersey, said after the Alba raid, according to NJ Spotlight News: 'We don't stand in the way of federal authorities doing their work and [we are] cooperating with them all the time. But beyond that, I have no insight into the Edison situation.'
