Latest news with #Coffman
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Suspect charged with federal hate crime in attack on Colorado rally for Israeli hostages
A man has been charged with a federal hate crime and multiple other felonies after he allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and incendiary devices to attack a crowd of people who were raising awareness for Israeli hostages in Gaza, injuring 12 victims. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is alleged to have shouted 'Free Palestine' as he attacked the crowd on Sunday. The FBI said Soliman told police he planned the attack for a year and had specifically targeted what he described as the 'Zionist group', the Associated Press reported. At a press conference on Monday the Boulder county district attorney said Soliman would be prosecuted for a federal hate crime and 16 counts of attempted murder. If convicted, he would be jailed for the rest of his life, with a cumulative of more than 600 years. At the press conference, US attorney for the district of Colorado said in a statement that Soliman had resorted to molotov cocktails when he wasn't able to obtain a gun. There were at least 16 unused molotov cocktails recovered from the scene, according to the US attorney's office, district of Colorado. An FBI affidavit said Soliman – upon confessing to Sunday's attack after his arrest – told the police he would do it again. Officials said there was no indication that the attack was associated with any group. NBC reported Soliman was an Egyptian national, and the White House claimed Soliman was in the US without legal status. Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years old, including a woman that a Department of Justice official said was a survivor of the Holocaust, were transported to hospitals, Boulder police said, with injuries ranging from minor to 'very serious'. Four additional victims had minor injuries but were not hospitalized. The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, close to the University of Colorado, during an event organized by Run for Their Lives, a group which aims to draw attention to the people taken hostage following Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel. Soliman is alleged to have thrown a device into a group of people who had assembled in a pedestrianized zone for the peaceful rally. The Boulder police chief, Stephen Redfearn, said the department received calls at about 1.26pm local time on Sunday of a man with a weapon near a downtown courthouse and that people were being set on fire. Brooke Coffman, a 19-year-old University of Colorado student, told Reuters she saw four women lying or sitting on the ground with burns on their legs. One of them appeared to have been badly burned on most of her body and had been wrapped in a flag by someone, Coffman said. She said she saw a man whom she presumed to be the attacker holding a glass bottle of clear liquid and shouting. 'Everybody is yelling: 'Get water, get water,'' Coffman said. Alex Osante, from San Diego, told the Associated Press he was having lunch on a restaurant patio across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground, a 'boom' sound followed by people yelling and screaming. In a video of the scene filmed by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had been burned during the attack. After the initial attack, Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then re-emerged and threw a molotov cocktail but appeared to accidentally set 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. The justice department said one of the victims was a Holocaust survivor. 'She endured the worst evil in human history. She came to America seeking safety,' said Leo Terrell, a senior counsel on civil rights in the justice department. 'This is all caused by the same type of hatred: antisemitism.' Terrell, who leads the Trump administration's antisemitism taskforce, was criticized in March after he shared a post by a white supremacist. Mark Michalek, the FBI special agent in charge of the Denver field office, identified Soliman as the lone suspect. 'It is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,' Michalek told a press conference, citing witnesses. Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, described the incident as a 'targeted terror attack', and Colorado's attorney general, Phil Weiser, said it appeared to be 'a hate crime given the group that was targeted'. Soliman is due to appear in court at 1.30pm local time on Monday, according to Boulder county jail records. He is being held on a $10m bond. Law enforcement officials said Soliman was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries. On his Truth Social platform Monday, Donald Trump said the attack 'will not be tolerated in the United States of America'. The US president also said acts of terrorism 'will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law'. In a post on X, Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, described Soliman as an 'illegal alien' who had overstayed his tourist visa. Miller criticized Joe Biden's presidential administration, whom he said had given Soliman a work permit. CNN, citing law enforcement officials, reported that Soliman arrived in the US in August 2022 as a non-immigrant visitor. It reported that the officials said he was granted a work authorization in March 2023, which expired at the end of March this year, more than two months into Trump's presidency. Soliman had previously applied for asylum in the US, CNN reported. He was denied a visa to enter the country in 2005. Miller said the attack was further evidence of the need to 'fully reverse' what he described as 'suicidal migration'. In his Truth post, Trump linked Soliman's presence in the US to 'Biden's ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our country so badly'. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said Soliman was '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,' McLaughlin said. The attack comes amid heightened tensions over Israel's war on Gaza, which in the US has spurred both an increase in both antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes. It follows the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington DC who had attended an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that fights antisemitism and supports Israel. Conservative supporters of Israel have branded pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic, and Donald Trump's administration has detained several protesters of the war without charge, while cutting off funding to elite US universities where protests against Israel's war on Gaza have taken place. Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people. It is still holding 58 hostages in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be still alive. Israel responded to the attack by launching a bombing campaign on Gaza which has killed more than 54,000 people. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement that the Colorado victims were attacked 'simply because they were Jews' and that he trusted US authorities would prosecute 'the cold blood perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law'.
India Today
3 days ago
- India Today
VIDEO: Boulder attack suspect throws alleged cocktails on pro-Israel group
An attack in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday left multiple people injured after a man reportedly threw Molotov cocktail-like liquid near a group attending a walk in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Police said the male suspect has been Director Kash Patel later called the incident a 'targeted terror attack,' though local police said it is too early to confirm the SHOWS SUSPECT ARGUING WITH CROWDA video shared on social media shows the alleged suspect holding what looked like Molotov cocktail bottles on Pearl Street, where the attack occurred. In the video, he argues with a group of pro-Israel demonstrators and locals. At one point, he says, "I can, I can," and asks, "How many children have you killed?" When a woman speaks to him, he points to the group and says, "They're jealous."VIDEO OF SUSPECTBoulder, Colorado AttackThe man shouted before throwing Molotov cocktails:'How many children have you killed?'This extremism must be eradicated from our is Walter Curt (@WCdispatch_) June 1, 2025 Brooke Coffman, a 19-year-old student at the University of Colorado, witnessed the attack. She saw four women on the ground with burns on their legs. One woman had severe burns on most of her body. Coffman described the attacker as a shirtless man holding a glass bottle filled with clear liquid, shouting in the is yelling, 'get water, get water,'" Coffman said as quoted by of a deadly attack against pro-Israel protestors in Boulder, ColoradoAllegedly a Molotov Cocktail thrown with multiple killedTHIS COMES ON THE SAME DAY THE THE MEDIA SPREAD A BLOOD LIBELJews are not safe in America right Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) June 1, 2025KASH PATEL CALLS IT 'TARGETED TERROR ATTACK'FBI Director Kash Patel called the attack a "targeted terror attack." While Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it appeared to be "a hate crime given the group that was targeted." However, Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said it was too early to say for sure what the motive was."We are not calling it a terror attack at this moment," Redfearn said, adding that victims suffered burns in the incident. He also said the information about the case was "very preliminary" and that the suspect had been taken to the hospital. The police chief mentioned the injuries ranged from very serious to more attack occurred amid rising tensions in the United States over the war in Gaza. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a prominent Jewish Democrat, said, "This is horrifying, and this cannot continue. We must stand up to antisemitism."The Boulder attack comes after another violent attack last month in Washington, D.C., where a man was arrested for shooting two Israeli embassy employees. The victims were leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, a group that fights antisemitism and supports input from agencies
NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
Live updates: Advocates for Israeli hostages hurt in Colorado fire attack
IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. FBI Director Kash Patel called the incident 'a targeted terror attack" on X. Law enforcement officials dress in protective gear to investigate after an attack on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday. David Zalubowski / AP Updated June 1, 2025, 7:26 PM EDT Brooke Coffman was walking down Pearl Street on her lunch break today when she saw a commotion near the courthouse. Worried someone was 'getting beat up,' she approached the area. Then, 'I saw this big fire go up,' Coffman told NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver. Coffman said she called 911 as she rushed toward the fiery scene. She said she saw two women 'rolling around a little bit' in their underwear after having strippedout of their burning clothes with 'really bad burns all up on their legs.' Another woman nearby, also with burns on her legs, was screaming. Coffman could barely make out the face of one of the women, she said, choking up, adding the woman's hair was burned off. 'It just wasn't a good scene,' Coffman said. Others nearby rushed to the scene with jugs of water, dousing the victims, Coffman said. She said that she saw at least seven people down, mostly older women, but that she heard there were more victims, including children. She said she saw a shirtless man screaming while he waved a glass bottle that contained a liquid. 'I know it's Boulder, it's Pearl Street, some stuff happens ... but you just don't really think it's going to happen right here, you don't think it's something you're going to see, so many people hurt," Coffman said. FBI Director Kash Patel the incident a 'targeted terror attack' on X as agents were on the scene assisting local police with the investigation. Dan Bongino, the FBI's deputy director, echoed Patel's assessment, saying on X: 'We are investigating this incident as an act of terror, and targeted violence. All of the necessary assets will be dedicated to this investigation.' Multiple people were injured when an attacker used a weapon to set people on fire during a regular demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, to buoy awareness of hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza. The group Run for Their Lives — Boulder has been holding the demonstrations fairly regularly, sometimes weekly, since Thanksgiving 2023, following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said a suspect was in custody following the afternoon violence and had suffered minor injuries that required hospitalizations. Read the full story here.
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Recruiting analyst 'confident' MSU holds onto 4-star QB Kayd Coffman despite uptick in interest
Recruiting analyst 'confident' MSU holds onto 4-star QB Kayd Coffman despite uptick in interest The Spartans' top commit in the 2026 class is gaining more attention on the recruiting trail, but one national analyst is "confident" Michigan State will hold on in the end. Four-star quarterback Kayd Coffman of Grand Rapids, Mich. has recently received a bump in the recruiting rankings and gained more interest from some big schools such as Ohio State and Colorado. Those two factors have resulted in some Spartans fans wondering if he'll consider opening up his commitment to go elsewhere, but that reportedly isn't what Greg Smith of Rivals believes. Smith -- who is a national recruiting analyst -- is reportedly "confident that Michigan State will keep (Coffman) in the fold." Coffman is listed as a four-star prospect with a 91.07 247Sports' composite rating. He ranks as the No. 19 quarterback and No. 259 overall prospect in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2026 class. He is also listed as the No. 4 player from Michigan in the class. Coffman committed to Michigan State in February and ever since then has gone up the recruiting rankings. He recently earned a fourth star from Rivals, and picked up an offer from Colorado earlier this month. There is no indication at this time that Coffman is planning on opening up his recruitment but the report from Smith is still refreshing for the Spartans. It's clear that Coffman is a great get at the most important position for Michigan State, and it'll be extremely important for Jonathan Smith and his staff to hold onto this major in-state commitment. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lee Enterprises Hosts Live Drawing Series with VeeFriends and Award-Winning Editorial Cartoonists May 20 and May 22
DAVENPORT, Iowa, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEE), a leading provider of trusted local news, today announced the company is hosting a 'Draw Off' event series that will pair The Wisconsin State Journal's editorial cartoonist Phil Hands and The Buffalo News' Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Adam Zyglis with D.J. Coffman, Director of Comics at VeeFriends, the character universe and entertainment company created by serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. The events will stream live on Facebook from the Wisconsin State Journal on May 20 and the Buffalo News on May 22. "I'm excited to share my drawing process with State Journal readers and introduce the art of political cartooning to the VeeFriends fans. I can't wait to see how my creative process compares to D.J.'s." said Hands. Zyglis added, 'We may be cartoonists of different stripes, but we both utilize the power of visual storytelling.' During each hour-long session, viewers will enjoy an enriching immersive experience of creativity in action. They can also comment and vote during the events as the cartoonists sketch brand-new work in real time. Completed sketches will be posted for free download, and fans can suggest future 'Draw Off' themes. 'These events offer a unique opportunity to blend our newsroom voices with a broader digital audience through creativity and shared storytelling, and live drawing is an irresistible way to do both,' said Nathan Bekke, Lee's Senior Vice President of Operations and Audience Strategy. 'The spontaneity of sketching live and seeing readers react instantly embodies everything we love about storytelling,' said Coffman. 'I am excited to go live with Phil and Adam, who are legends in the industry. We're blending the energy of VeeFriends with the legacy of editorial cartooning, and I think people are going to have a lot of fun watching it all unfold.' Event details: Facebook Live Cartoon Drawing with The Wisconsin State Journal's cartoonist Phil Hands and VeeFriends' D.J. Coffman Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Time: 5 to 6 p.m. EDT/4 to 5 p.m. CDT Where: Wisconsin State Journal Facebook Page Facebook Live Cartoon Drawing with The Buffalo News' cartoonist Adam Zyglis and VeeFriends' D.J. Coffman Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025 Time: 5 to 6 p.m. EDT/4 to 5 p.m. CDT Where: The Buffalo News Facebook Page About Lee Enterprises Lee Enterprises Inc. is a trusted local news provider serving 72 markets in 25 states. With a dedication to quality journalism and digital innovation, Lee delivers valuable content and advertising solutions to its communities and partners. For more information, visit Contact: IR@ (563) 383-2100 About VeeFriends VeeFriends is an entertainment company dedicated to creating a better world through its universe of more than 250 characters. VeeFriends combines storytelling, content, collectibles, and community-driven experiences to ignite self-discovery. Each VeeFriends character connects differently with people, reflecting their likes, passions, memories, and aspirations. This unique and individual connection is the magic of VeeFriends and its characters. By sharing the values and messages of its characters, VeeFriends inspires deeper bonds, spreads joy, and empowers individuals to be their best selves. For more information, visit and follow VeeFriends on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. Contact: Rachel Gunia, rachel@ About Gary Vaynerchuk Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and serves as the Chair of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia, and the Creator and CEO of VeeFriends. Gary is considered one of the leading global minds on what's next in culture, relevance, and the internet. Known as 'GaryVee,' he is described as one of the most forward thinkers in business. He is a New York Times bestselling author, a sought-after public speaker, and a prolific investor in companies like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase, and Uber. Gary serves on the board of MikMak, Bojangles Restaurants, Global Citizen Forum, and Pencils of Promise. He is also a longtime Well Member of charity: water. Contact: Maha Abouelenein, maha@ CONTACT: Lee Enterprises 563-383-2100 IR@
