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The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Boulder attack suspect's family taken into ICE custody; live updates
"This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,'' Noem said on the X platform. "We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it.'' Soliman, a native of Egypt who lives in Colorado Springs, is accused of attacking a weekly "Run for Their Lives" demonstration on June 1. Twelve people ages 52 to 88 suffered burns ranging from serious to minor, police said. Two remain hospitalized. Soliman came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in late 2022 and stayed after the visa expired, requesting asylum. His daughter, Habiba Soliman, graduated from high school with honors on May 29 and said she saw the family's move to the U.S. as a chance to fulfill her dream of attending medical school. Her father told investigators he did not complete his attack plan "because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before," according to a police affidavit. He said "he wanted them to all die ... He said he would go back and do it again and had no regret doing what he did," Boulder Detective John Sailer wrote in court papers. Soliman explained that, to him, anyone who supported the existence of Israel on "our land" is Zionist. Mohamed defined "our Land" as Palestine, the affidavit said. Soliman, 45, arrived at the scene Sunday with 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two while yelling "Free Palestine," according to the affidavit. Soliman told authorities he took a class and learned to shoot a gun while planning the attack - only to find out he could not purchase a gun because he was not a U.S. citizen. He said he then taught himself how to make Molotov cocktails from YouTube videos, the affidavit says. He told authorities no one else knew of his plan but that he did leave a journal with his family. A federal affidavit charging Soliman with a hate crime and attempted murder says he learned about the demonstration from an online search. It says Soliman told investigators he planned the attack for a year and waited for a daughter to graduate from high school before executing it. 12 burned in Boulder attack: Suspect charged with federal hate crime Habiba Soliman was profiled in an April story published in the Colorado Springs Gazette as one of its "Best and Brightest" senior class scholarship winners. Habiba told the paper she arrived in the United States as a high school sophomore speaking little English. She attended Thomas Maclaren School, a K-12 charter school, where she not only worked on her English but signed up to learn German as her foreign language requirement. She also started an Arabic club. Habiba was born in Egypt but lived in Kuwait for 14 years. Because she was not Kuwaiti, attending medical school there as she wanted was not an option, she said. The move to the United States provided a chance to fulfill her dream, she said. "Coming to the USA has fundamentally changed me," she said. "I learned to adapt to new things even if it was hard. I learned to work under pressure and improve rapidly in a very short amount of time. Most importantly, I came to appreciate that family is the unchanging support." Soliman is a native Egyptian who entered the United States in late 2022 on a tourist visa. He later requested asylum and remained in the country after his visa expired in February 2023. He, his wife and their children lived in Colorado Springs, about 100 miles south of Boulder. Soliman worked as an Uber driver, the company confirmed. He drove to Boulder to attack the demonstrators three days after Habiba's graduation, according to investigators. Unable to purchase a gun, Soliman told investigators he turned to gasoline, glass bottles and a backpack sprayer often used by landscapers to dispense pesticide or fertilizer. Soliman told investigators he stopped several times on his drive from Colorado Springs to buy bottles for the Molotov cocktails, the 87-octane gas to fill them and to Home Depot to buy flowers as camouflage to make it easier to "get as close as possible to the group." - Trevor Hughes Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the immigration story of Soliman is far from unique. "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. President Donald Trump, in a social media post Monday, called Sunday's attack "yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, echoed Trump in his own post, warning that "in light of yesterday's horrific attack, all terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathizers here on a visa should know that under the Trump administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you." Soliman appeared in court on Monday and was ordered held on $10 million bond. He is due back in court Thursday. The suspect faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty on the federal hate crime charge because he was also charged with attempted-murder in state court. Soliman also faces state charges including 16 counts of attempted murder and 18 counts of possesion of incendiary devices and related offenses. The attempted-murder counts alone are punishable by up to 384 years in prison, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said. More federal and/or state charges could be added later, authorities said. Boulder has borne the pain of a mass attack before. In 2021, when a gunman killed 10 people during a rampage at a supermarket. Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 25, was convicted in September of 10 counts of murder and related charges. On March 22, 2021, Alissa opened fire at King Soopers grocery store, killing two people in the parking lot and eight people in the store. Alissa pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but he was found competent to stand trial in 2023 after spending time at a mental hospital. Defense attorney Kathryn Herold said during her closing argument that the shooting was "born out of disease, not choice. ... Mr. Alissa committed these crimes because he was psychotic and delusional." Prosecutors said Alissa was able to distinguish right from wrong, that he was deliberate and calculated in his actions during the shooting and he hunted down his victims in an attempt to kill as many people as possible. Contributing: Reuters A chilling portrait: FBI says suspect planned his antisemitic attack for a year
USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Boulder suspect's daughter dreamed of studying medicine. Now she faces deportation.
Boulder suspect's daughter dreamed of studying medicine. Now she faces deportation. Habiba Soliman moved to the U.S. hoping to study medicine. Then her father Mohamed Soliman was charged with a hate crime in an attack aimed at peaceful Jewish demonstrators. Show Caption Hide Caption Who is Boulder, Colorado, terror suspect Mohamed Soliman? Authorities say 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman attacked a pro-Israel event in Boulder. Here's what to know about the Colorado suspect . She moved to the United States with a dream of studying medicine to transform lives. Then her father was charged with attempting to take them in connection with a fiery assault on pro-Jewish protesters in Boulder, Colorado. Now Habiba Soliman, daughter of Boulder attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, faces deportation along with the rest of her family. The family, originally from Egypt, moved to the U.S. from Kuwait. Habiba Soliman recently graduated from high school, but her aspirations were upended when her 45-year-old father was charged with a federal hate crime and 16 counts of attempted murder related to the attack that left a dozen people burned, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. Two remain hospitalized. Her life had been headed in a positive direction before the attack on the weekly demonstration in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, which came three days after her high school graduation. A federal affidavit says the elder Soliman told investigators he planned the attack for a year and waited for his daughter to graduate before carrying out the plot. Prior to the attack, Habiba Soliman had written about her hope of accomplishing great things in the U.S. 'Coming to the USA has fundamentally changed me,' she wrote in an application for a Colorado Springs Gazette 'Best and Brightest' scholarship. 'I learned to adapt to new things even if it was hard. I learned to work under pressure and improve rapidly in a very short amount of time. Most importantly, I came to appreciate that family is the unchanging support.' She won the scholarship and was profiled in the Colorado newspaper where she shared her dream of a "future medical career" in the U.S. Instead, the White House said on X on Tuesday that Mohamed Soliman's wife and five children 'could be deported by tonight.' FBI and police officials said Monday the family has cooperated with investigators. The family is in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and could not be reached for comment."This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,'' Noem said on the X platform. "We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it.'' Why did she want to pursue medicine? Habiba Soliman's interest in medicine goes back to her father, according to a Colorado Springs Gazette profile celebrating her winning one of the outlet's "Best and Brightest" senior class scholarships. She told the outlet that she wanted to study medicine after seeing how her father regained the ability to walk after a difficult surgery. She described the result as 'magic.' Moving to the U.S. from Kuwait provided her new opportunities to pursue her dream. Her favorite activity was volunteering at a local hospital which would help in a 'future medical career,' she wrote in her scholarship application. Representatives at the hospital, UCHealth, did not immediately respond to requests for information on how long she volunteered or what her tasks were. 'Best and Brightest' Soliman was among 20 winners of the Best and Brightest scholarship, according to Christopher P. Reen, chair of the board of Gazette Charities. 'Recipients were selected through a highly competitive process that evaluated academic excellence, leadership, character, and a strong commitment to community service - her application and credentials met the program requirements,' Reen said to USA TODAY. 'However, outside of the program and the criteria, we cannot speak on behalf of specific scholars.' The scholarship affords winners a chance to have their academic excellence and future aspirations recognized in the local paper. Soliman was part of the 34th class of winners, according to the Gazette. Applicants need to have a minimum 2.5 GPA, display a commitment to community and have a vision for their future, according to the 2025 application. She was the only winner from her high school, the Thomas MacLaren School, an award-winning charter school founded in 2009. Nearly 950 students attend the Kindergarten through 12th grade school, according to the website. Overcoming challenges Among essay questions Best and Brightest applicants answer is a 'defining moment' prompt: 'What obstacle(s) have you faced and what did you learn from that experience?' Habiba Soliman wrote about how difficult it was to move to the U.S. from Kuwait. According to federal officials, Mohamed Soliman entered the United States in late 2022 on a tourist visa, and later requested asylum. It's unclear if they entered the country together. According to the Gazette, she at least joined MacLaren as a sophomore, a year which she described as a disaster where she had no friends as she struggled to learn English. Later she went on to start an Arabic club at the school and also made an effort to welcome new students, according to the Gazette. Madalyn Rilling, a MacLaren teacher who wrote a letter of recommendation for Soliman, said the immigrant student had quickly grown into a class leader through her thoughtful questions. '(Habiba's) English skills have improved to a fluent level and she has become an even more advanced student,' Rilling wrote. Rilling and other MacLaren representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Facing deportation The White House has taken to X to highlight the potential repercussions Mohamed Soliman's wife and five children potentially face for his actions. 'Six One-Way Tickets for Mohamed's Wife and Five Kids. Final Boarding Call Coming Soon,' the White House said in a post on the Elon Musk platform. The family is not the first connected to a suspected criminal to face deportation under the administration of President Donald Trump. Three Venezuelans tied to the man who killed 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley were also arrested and slated to be deported after Trump came into office in 2025. Jose Antonio Ibarra was convicted in 2024 of murdering Riley and sentenced to life in prison. His brothers Diego Jose and Argenis as well as his former roommate Rosbeli Flores-Bello were all imprisoned in 2024 for possessing false immigration documents. But shortly after coming into office, Trump's Department of Justice announced that they would be deported. Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello were immediately placed into Immigrations and Customs Enforcement custody following the March 19 announcement. Diego Ibarra is expected to be turned over to immigration officials following completion of a 48-month federal prison sentence. Contributing: Trevor Hughes, John Bacon and Jorge L. Ortiz.
Arab Times
3 days ago
- General
- Arab Times
Colorado Attack Suspect Lived in Kuwait for 17 Years
COLORADO, June 3: Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the 45-year-old Egyptian man accused of carrying out a violent attack at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, had previously lived in Kuwait for 17 years before relocating to the United States, U.S. prosecutors revealed. Soliman moved to Colorado Springs three years ago with his wife and five children, reportedly so his daughter could pursue a medical education—an opportunity he believed was unavailable in Kuwait. According to CNN, Soliman had worked as an accountant in Kuwait and maintained a Facebook profile that featured images supporting the Muslim Brotherhood's protests against the 2013 ousting of Egypt's former president, Mohamed Morsi. Authorities say Soliman spent a year meticulously planning the attack, delaying it until after his daughter's high school graduation. A report in the Colorado Springs Gazette earlier this year profiled a scholarship recipient who closely matched the description of Soliman's daughter. In her application, she wrote about her family's immigration journey from Kuwait to the U.S. and described how her father underwent a 'difficult surgery' that restored his ability to walk—an event that inspired her to pursue medicine. When questioned by investigators, Soliman admitted to researching how to construct Molotov cocktails on YouTube and selecting his target group through online sources. On the day of the attack, he reportedly left a hidden iPhone in his home office containing personal messages and a diary. Disguised as a gardener in a yellow safety vest and carrying a bouquet, he approached the rally site to launch his assault. Bystanders captured video footage of Soliman after the attack, shirtless and yelling slogans such as 'Free Palestine' and 'Stop the Zionists' before being apprehended by police. He now faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault, possession of an incendiary device, and a federal hate crime. The FBI has classified the attack as an act of domestic terrorism. 'He stated he had no regrets and would do it again,' said J. Bishop Gruwell, Colorado's Interim U.S. Attorney. A police detective noted in court documents that Soliman had told authorities, 'He had to do it… and would not forgive himself if he didn't.' If convicted, Soliman faces a life sentence.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Who is Habiba Soliman? Colorado attack suspect's daughter listed among ‘Best and Brightest' scholarship winners
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, admitted to detectives that he plotted the Colorado attack for a year and intended to carry it out only after his daughter graduated from high school. An April article in the Colorado Springs Gazette highlighted Soliman's daughter, Habiba Soliman, as one of the recipients of the 'Best and Brightest' senior class scholarship. Habiba Soliman told the newspaper that she spoke little English when she first landed in the US as a sophomore in high school. In addition to improving her English, she enrolled in Thomas Maclaren School, a K–12 charter school, to fulfill her foreign language prerequisite of learning German. In addition, she established an Arabic club. Despite being born in Egypt, Habiba spent 14 years living in Kuwait. She stated that she could not pursue her desire to study in medical school in Kuwait since she was not Kuwaiti. 'Coming to the USA has fundamentally changed me,' Habiba said. 'I learned to adapt to new things even if it was hard. I learned to work under pressure and improve rapidly in a very short amount of time. Most importantly, I came to appreciate that family is the unchanging support.' Also Read: Why has Newark Mayor Ras Baraka sued interim US attorney Alina Habba? Here's what all we know Born in Egypt, Soliman arrived in the US on a tourist visa around the end of 2022. Soliman's visa expired in February 2023, and he stayed in the US after requesting asylum. He resided in Colorado Springs, around 100 miles south of Boulder, with his spouse and kids. Uber confirmed that Soliman was an Uber driver. On May 29, Habiba received her high school diploma with honors. Investigators found that her father drove to Boulder to attack the demonstration three days later. As he was unable to buy a gun, Soliman told investigators he used gasoline, glass bottles, and a backpack sprayer that landscapers frequently use to apply fertilizer or insecticide. During his journey from Colorado Springs, Soliman told detectives he made several stops to obtain bottles for the Molotov bombs, the 87-octane gas to fill them, and flowers to use as disguise so he could 'get as close as possible to the group.'
