Latest news with #FBIDDBongino
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- The Hindu
What we know about man charged in attack in Boulder, Colorado
A man armed with a makeshift flamethrower and other incendiary devices launched a fiery attack on demonstrators in Colorado who were calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Twelve people were injured, and the FBI described the violence as a 'targeted terror attack'. The suspect, identified by the FBI as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attack on Sunday (June 1, 2025), according to Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. Authorities believe Soliman acted alone. He has been charged with multiple state counts and a federal a hate crime. How did the attack unfold? Authorities said the attacker targeted volunteers with Run for Their Lives, which organises running and walking events to call for the immediate release of Israelis being held in Gaza. The hostages were captured by militants during an incursion into southern Israel in 2023 that precipitated the latest Israel-Hamas war. The group gathered on Sunday (June 1, 2025) at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder frequented by tourists and students. Witnesses said the suspect first used the flamethrower, then threw two Molotov cocktails into the crowd. Soliman was arrested at the scene. Video from the scene shows a shirtless Soliman shouting at onlookers while holding two clear bottles containing a transparent liquid. Another video shows a witness shouting: 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on the suspect. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told reporters on Monday (June 2, 2025) that authorities uncovered 16 unused Molotov cocktails. One witness, Alex Osante, said Soliman appeared to catch himself on fire during the attack. A booking photo shows him with a bandage over one of his ears. Police said he was taken to the hospital after he was arrested but haven't described his injuries. What was his motive? Witnesses said Soliman yelled 'Free Palestine' as he launched the attack. An FBI affidavit said he confessed to the attack. He told investigators 'he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' that he specifically targeted the Run for Their Lives group, and that he had researched and planned the attack for more than a year, according to the affidavit. '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. Our leadership team on the ground in Boulder will be updating you shortly on the attack in Boulder. 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… — Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) June 1, 2025 The Israel-Hamas war has inflamed global tensions and contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. A week earlier, two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot to death in Washington, D.C., by a man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was led away by police. What charges does Soliman face? Soliman participated in a brief court hearing on Monday (June 2, 2205) afternoon via video from the Boulder County jail. He is charged federally with commission of a hate crime, which carries a sentence of life in prison when the charge includes attempted murder. Colorado state charges include 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of using an incendiary device and 16 counts of attempted use of an incendiary device. A Judge set a $10 million cash-only bond on the state charges. Additional charges are possible in Federal Court. The Justice Department plans to seek a grand jury indictment. Who is Soliman? Soliman was born in Egypt, and he moved three years ago to Colorado Springs, where he lived with his wife and five children, according to state Court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. The Department of Homeland Security said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and has been living in the U.S. illegally since his visa expired in February 2023. Soliman worked as an Uber driver and had passed the company's eligibility requirements, which include a criminal background check, according to a spokesperson for Uber. An online resume under Soliman's name says he was employed by a Denver-area health care company working in accounting and inventory control, with prior employers listed as companies in Egypt. Soliman listed Al-Azhar University, a historic center for Islamic and Arabic learning located in Cairo, on the resume. Who was injured? The people injured in the Pearl Street attack range in age from 52 to 88. Their injuries — some serious and some minor — were consistent with reports of people being set on fire, interim Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said. Authorities initially said there were eight victims, but said four others later were identified. Photos from the scene showed a burning woman lying on the ground in a fetal position and a man helping to put out the flames using a jug of water. 'The immense wave of positive messages we've received is another signal of the health and strong spirits of our community,' Rabbi Yisroel and Leah Wilhelm, directors of the Rohr Chabad House at the University of Colorado, said in a statement. 'We encourage everyone to respond energetically to this attack by celebrating Shavuot joyously, by attending the reading of the Ten Commandments, and by recommitting to the heritage and traditions we hold so dear.'
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
‘He killed himself': FBI chiefs Kash Patel and Dan Bongino insist Jeffry Epstein died by suicide
File photo: FBI director Kash Patel (right) and deputy director Dan Bongino (Picture credit: X/@FBIDDBongino) FBI director Kash Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino have firmly asserted that Jeffrey Epstein 's death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 was a suicide, pushing back against persistent conspiracy theories that he was murdered to protect powerful individuals. Their comments came during a joint appearance on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. 'He killed himself,' Bongino said plainly during the interview. 'I've seen the whole file. He killed himself.' Patel backed this view, saying, 'As someone who's been a public defender, a prosecutor, who's been in that prison system, you know a suicide when you see one, and that's what that was.' 'WAVE OF TRANSPARENCY': FBI director hints at agency's move to rebuild Americans' trust He acknowledged sceptics have a right to their opinion but insisted there was no foul play. Bongino reiterated his stance on X, writing: 'I have reviewed the case. Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. There's no evidence in the case file indicating otherwise. If new evidence surfaces, I'm happy to reevaluate.' Epstein was found hanged in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019, a month after his arrest on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide by New York City's chief medical examiner. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You will never turn off your computer again. Undo However, two guards on duty reportedly fell asleep and failed to check on him, and the hallway surveillance cameras had malfunctioned, a combination that fuelled public suspicion. Adding to the controversy, Epstein's family hired forensic pathologist Dr Michael Baden, who concluded Epstein's neck injuries suggested homicide. 'The fractures were more consistent with strangulation,' he argued. However, Dr Barbara Sampson, the city's medical examiner at the time, countered, 'The cause is hanging, the manner is suicide. I stand firmly behind our determination.' The speculation around Epstein's death was further stoked in February after US attorney general Pam Bondi released a batch of Epstein-related documents. As per Fox News, the files contained little more than contact information and did not reveal any so-called 'client list,' prompting backlash from Republican lawmakers. Rep Anna Paulina Luna called the release 'a complete disappointment,' demanding the full information be made public. Bondi later said that after pressuring the DOJ, she received 'a truckload of evidence' from the Southern District of New York. She promised a full FBI report was coming, though none has been released yet. The Epstein case resurfaced in headlines recently after the death of Virginia Giuffre , one of his most prominent accusers. As per The New York Times, Giuffre died by suicide at her farm in Western Australia in April. She had sued Britain's Prince Andrew in 2021, accusing him of sexually abusing her when she was a minor, a claim he denied but later settled privately. Giuffre had played a central role in publicly exposing Epstein's crimes. In 2015, she gave up her anonymity and was quoted by The Mail on Sunday, 'Basically, I was training to be a prostitute for him and his friends.' She said she was recruited at age 16 by Ghislaine Maxwell , who was later convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. During the interview, Bongino and Patel also hinted that more revelations related to FBI investigations were forthcoming. Patel alleged that former FBI leadership 'withheld and hid documentation' related to several high-profile probes. 'Just give us about a week or two,' he added, suggesting a new wave of transparency may be imminent.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Indian Express
FBI says suspect in Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing left behind ‘anti-pro-life' writings
After a car bomb attack near a fertility centre in Palm Springs, California on Saturday, the FBI said it has identified the suspect and believes the 25-year-old man, responsible for the detonation, left behind 'anti-pro-life' writings before carrying out the attack and the investigators are treating it as an act of terrorism. The FBI identified Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, California as the main suspect behind the apparent car explosion on Saturday, which damaged a fertility clinic in Palm Springs in the desert east of Los Angeles. A senior FBI official called the incident the 'largest bombing scene that we've had in Southern California.' A body was found near the charred remains of the car and the FBI said it belonged to the suspect Barktus, who tried to livestream the act and left behind writings that communicated 'nihilistic ideations'. 'Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism. The FBI is investigating it as such.' -Our Assistant Director in charge at @FBILosAngeles Akil Davis giving the latest on the explosion in Palm Springs, CA. Our teams are working day and night on the ground to assist. — Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) May 18, 2025 During a press briefing, Akil Davis, assistant director at the FBI's Los Angeles field office said 'We are fairly confident that Mr. Bartkus is our primary suspect.' Davis added that Barktus died as he was trying to livestream the explosion. His body was recovered near the vehicle – a 2010 silver Ford Fusion. 'The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF (in vitro fertilization) facility. Make no mistake. We are treating this…as an intentional act of terrorism,' Davis added, Reuters reported. The blast on Saturday claimed the life of one person, who was identified as the suspect Bartkus, while four other people were injured. However, reports showed no embryos kept inside the fertility clinic were harmed in the explosion. Authorities were executing a search warrant in Twentynine Palms, which is about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Palm Springs and comprises 28,000 residents. The Saturday blast gutted the American Reproductive Centers clinic but the IVF centre confirmed that its staff remained unhurt in the incident.
