Latest news with #BoulderPoliceDept
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- General
- Toronto Sun
Boulder suspect backed off his initial plan to kill all in a group he called 'Zionist,' police say
Published Jun 03, 2025 • 4 minute read This image provided by the Boulder Police Dept. shows Mohamed Sabry Soliman. Photo by Boulder Police Dept. / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BOULDER, Colo. — A man in Boulder disguised as a gardener who wounded 12 people in an attack on a group holding their weekly demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza had planned to kill them all but appeared to have second thoughts, according to authorities. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Mohamed Sabry Soliman had 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two during Sunday's attack in which he yelled 'Free Palestine,' police said. He didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before,' police wrote in an affidavit. The two incendiary devices he did throw into the group of about 20 people were enough to wound more than half of them, and authorities said he expressed no regrets about the attack. The 45-year-old Soliman — whose first name also was spelled Mohammed in some court documents — planned the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers charging him with a federal hate crime. Mohamed Soliman, a citizen of Egypt, is seen in a screengrab from video posted to social media during the attack in Boulder, Colo. on June 1, 2025. 'When he was interviewed about the attack, he said he wanted them all to die, he had no regrets and he would go back and do it again,' Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado said during a news conference Monday. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Federal and state prosecutors filed separate criminal cases against Soliman, charging him with a hate crime and attempted murder, respectively. He faces additional state charges related to the incendiary devices, and more charges are possible in federal court, where the Justice Department will seek a grand jury indictment. Soliman is being held on a $10 million, cash-only bond, prosecutors said. His next court hearing is set for Thursday. An FBI affidavit says Soliman told the police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people,' a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Soliman's attorney, public defender Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after the hearing. Soliman was living in the U.S. illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on the social platform X. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Colorado Terrorist attack suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country. He entered the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired on February 2023. He filed for asylum in September 2022. — Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) June 2, 2025 The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Six victims hospitalized The victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88, and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said. Six of the injured were taken to hospitals, and four have since been released, said Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organizer connected to the group. She said the clothing of one of those who remains hospitalized caught on fire. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Members of the volunteer group called Run For Their Lives were holding their weekly demonstration when the attack happened. Video from the scene captured by witness Alex Osante of San Diego shows people pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught fire during the attack. Read More Molotov cocktails found Osante said that after the suspect threw the two incendiary devices, apparently catching himself on fire as he threw the second, he took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video Osante filmed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Molotov cocktails were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the them, the FBI said. 'He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,' the affidavit says. He had gas in a backpack sprayer but told investigators he didn't spray it on anyone but himself 'because he had planned on dying.' Soliman also told investigators he took a concealed carry class and tried to buy a gun but was denied because he is not a legal U.S. citizen. Suspect hospitalized after attack Authorities said they believe Soliman acted alone. He was also injured and taken to a hospital. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, but a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear. Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved three years ago to Colorado Springs, where he lived with his wife and five kids, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired. DHS did not respond to requests for additional information. — Tucker reported from Washington. Columnists Canada Sunshine Girls Olympics Technology
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Israeli rally attack suspect on expired US visa charged
A suspect in an attack on a pro-Israeli rally in the US state of Colorado that injured eight people is being held on an array of charges, including assault and the use of explosives, according to official records. The posted list of felony charges against Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, also includes charges of murder in the first degree, although police have said on social media that no victims were killed in the attack, which took place on Sunday in the city of Boulder. Authorities could not be reached immediately to clarify. The suspect is being held on $US10 million ($A15 million) bail. Few details were available about the suspect but Todd Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Soliman had overstayed a visa and had an expired work permit. In response to several questions received overnight regarding the Pearl Street attack, we are sharing the following:*No victims have died*The suspect's mugshot is seen here and his date of birth is Dec. 15, 1979.*The next press conference will be later today and details will… — Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) June 2, 2025 "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," Lyons said during a press conference in Boston. "I will tell you that's a huge effort for ICE right now." Under former president Joe Biden, ICE prioritised arrests of serious criminals and called for officers to consider humanitarian factors when making arrests. 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. Lyons declined to provide more information but a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously said Soliman had entered the country in August 2022 and filed for asylum the following month. "The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country," the spokesperson said. Soliman is scheduled for a court hearing later on Monday. 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. Witnesses reported the suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. He was heard to yell "Free Palestine," according to the FBI, during what the agency called a "targeted terror attack". Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years of age were transported to hospitals after the attack, Boulder Police said. The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district near the University of Colorado, during an event organised by Run for Their Lives, an organisation devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told CBS Colorado that the 88-year-old victim was a Holocaust refugee who fled Europe. The FBI raided and searched Soliman's home in El Paso County, Colorado, the agency said on social media. "As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time."
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Colorado attack suspect researched for a year and targeted 'Zionist group': Cops
An FBI affidavit says Soliman confessed after being taken into custody and told the police he would do it again Published Jun 02, 2025 • 7 minute read This image provided by the Boulder Police Dept. shows Mohamed Sabry Soliman. (Boulder Police Dept. via AP) BOULDER, Colo. — A man accused of using a makeshift flamethrower and an incendiary device to attack a group in Boulder, Colorado, that had gathered to bring attention to Israeli hostages in Gaza, has been charged with a federal hate crime, according to court documents filed Monday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The suspect, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, 45, told police he planned it for a year and specifically targeted what he described as the 'Zionist group,' the FBI said. Eight people were injured in the attack, some with burns, as a group was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza. Witnesses reported the man yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attack. An FBI affidavit says Soliman confessed to the attack after being taken into custody Sunday and told the police he would do it again. The affidavit was released in support of a federal hate crime charged filed by the Justice Department on Monday. Court records show Soliman was scheduled to appear in state court in Boulder at 1:30 p.m. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Monday saying he, his wife and the entire nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the 'vicious terror attack' in Colorado. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Attack leads to increased security elsewhere 'Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,' said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, which encompasses Boulder. In New York, the police department said it upped its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot. The eight victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88 and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said. The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Alex Osante of San Diego said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground and a 'boom' sound followed by people yelling and screaming. In video of the scene captured by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. A man, who later identified himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Osante on the video asking for some water to help. Mohamed Soliman, a citizen of Egypt, is seen in a screengrab from video posted to social media during the attack in Boulder, Colo. on June 1, 2025. Suspect reemerged after initial attack After the initial attack, Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then reemerged and threw a Molotov cocktail but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video that Osante filmed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who gathered Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a 'rope of fire' shot in front of her and then 'two big flares.' She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help. Law enforcement found more than a dozen unlit Molotov cocktails near where Soliman was arrested. The devices were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the them, the FBI said. Inside his car, law enforcement found papers with the words 'Israel,' 'Palestine,' and 'USAID,' the affidavit says. Soliman told investigators that he constructed homemade Molotov cocktails after doing research on YouTube and buying the ingredients. He drove to Boulder with the devices in his car and stopped along the way for gas, according to the affidavit. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said in his interview that his goal was to 'kill all Zionists,' the FBI said, and that he intentionally targeted the group and knew they they would be assembled on Sunday afternoon. 'He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,' the affidavit says. The group that was attacked has said it was trying to raise attention to the plight of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Authorities believe suspect acted alone Authorities said Sunday they believe Soliman acted alone and that no other suspect was being sought. No criminal charges were immediately announced but officials said they would move to hold Soliman accountable. He was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, but a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. State and federal authorities planned to hold a news conference Monday afternoon. Soliman was living in the U.S. illegally after having entered the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X. McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. Public records listed Soliman as living in a modest rented townhouse in Colorado Springs, where local media outlets reported federal law enforcement agents were on the scene Sunday. Shameka Pruiett knew Soliman and his family as kindly neighbors with five children, three young kids and two teenagers, who'd play with Pruiett's kids in front of their building, share food and hellos. But she said when she saw Soliman on video in Boulder, shirtless and holding bottles with flames licking up the grass in front of him, it was hard to recognize him. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There had to be something deeply disturbing him, cause that is not the guy we see in the neighborhood,' said Pruiett, leaning on her doorframe and gazing several feet away at Soliman's apartment. Soliman had never been outwardly political, she said, 'he didn't push his views or values on anyone.' On Sunday, Pruiett saw law enforcement vehicles waiting on the street throughout the day until the evening, when they spoke through a megaphone telling anyone in Soliman's home to come out. Nobody came out, and it did not appear anyone was inside, said Pruiett. The raid lasted several hours, she said. An online resume under Soliman's name said he was employed by a Denver-area health care company working in accounting and inventory control, with prior employers listed as companies in Egypt. Under education, the resume listed Al-Azhar University, a historic center for Islamic and Arabic learning located in Cairo. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.' 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X. Israel's war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90% of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the mall. Olympics Toronto Maple Leafs News Sunshine Girls Celebrity
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Several injured after ‘terror attack' on promenade in Colorado, US police say
Police said a man was taken into custody in the attack that the FBI immediately described as a 'targeted terror attack'. We are responding to a report of an attack at 13th and Pearl streets with reports of several victims. PLEASE AVOID THE AREA! We will put out more information soon — Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) June 1, 2025 Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters on Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed. 'It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,' he said. The attack took place at a promenade where demonstrators had gathered to call for the release of hostages who remain in Gaza. We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available. @FBI — FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 1, 2025 FBI director Kash Patel posted on social media: 'Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.' Boulder police said there were 'several victims' in the attack. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Mr Redfearn said. Several streets of the typically popular pedestrian promenade were evacuated, police said. Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement that he was 'closely monitoring' the situation, adding that 'hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable'. The Boulder attack occurred as law enforcement authorities in the US grapple with a sharp spike in antisemitic violence and just over a week after a man was arrested on charges in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers and shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was being led away by police.
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Several injured after ‘terror attack' on promenade in Colorado, US police say
Police said a man was taken into custody in the attack that the FBI immediately described as a 'targeted terror attack'. We are responding to a report of an attack at 13th and Pearl streets with reports of several victims. PLEASE AVOID THE AREA! We will put out more information soon — Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) June 1, 2025 Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters on Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed. 'It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,' he said. The attack took place at a promenade where demonstrators had gathered to call for the release of hostages who remain in Gaza. We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available. @FBI — FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 1, 2025 FBI director Kash Patel posted on social media: 'Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.' Boulder police said there were 'several victims' in the attack. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Mr Redfearn said. Several streets of the typically popular pedestrian promenade were evacuated, police said. Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in a statement that he was 'closely monitoring' the situation, adding that 'hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable'. The Boulder attack occurred as law enforcement authorities in the US grapple with a sharp spike in antisemitic violence and just over a week after a man was arrested on charges in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers and shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was being led away by police.
