Latest news with #MarkMakela
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Colorado fire-bomb suspect faces 28 attempted murder counts
A community vigil at the Boulder Jewish Community Center, following an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, U.S., June 4, 2025. Andy Cross/Pool via REUTERS A placard saying \"Boulder strong\" is displayed on a makeshift memorial outside the Boulder Courthouse, days after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, U.S., June 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mark Makela FILE PHOTO: Boulder attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman poses for a jail booking photograph after his arrest in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 2, 2025. Boulder Police Department/Handout via REUTERS/ File photo Police officers gather on Pearl Street in front of the Boulder County Courthouse, the scene of an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mark Makela/ File Photo A Boulder police officer patrols with a bomb smelling dog beside a makeshift memorial outside the Boulder Courthouse, days after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, U.S., June 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mark Makela The man accused of fire-bombing a Colorado march by people who wanted to raise awareness of hostages in Gaza was charged in state court on Thursday with attempted murder and other crimes, as those he targeted vowed to carry on their efforts. If he is convicted, state prosecutors said Egyptian citizen Mohamed Soliman, 45, faces well over 600 years in prison for 28 attempted murder charges. There were 118 counts against him in total, including assault, use of incendiary devices and animal cruelty for the injury of a dog. Soliman also faces federal hate crimes charges that carry a life sentence if he is convicted. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday. Soliman wore orange prison clothing at Thursday's state hearing in a courtroom inside the Boulder County jail. He appeared behind thick glass, and his hands and feet were shackled. Judge Nancy Woodruff Salomone asked if he could hear her and if he agreed to his next court date, set for July 15. Soliman nodded affirmatively in response to both questions and made no other comments or gestures. He was not asked to enter a plea. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said three victims from Sunday's attack remained in the hospital. Prosecutors said there were 15 victims in total, ranging in age from 25 to 88, in the attack, of whom 10 had injuries. The Boulder public defender's office, listed in court documents as representing Soliman, did not respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors say that Soliman tossed Molotov cocktails and yelled "Free Palestine" at people taking part in the walk organized by Run for Their Lives, an organization devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized during Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. Soliman entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022 and recently lived in Colorado Springs. Federal officials say he overstayed that tourist visa and his work permit had expired, so he was in the country illegally. His family, including his wife, two teenagers and three younger children, was taken into custody on Tuesday and may be deported, though a federal judge on Wednesday blocked their immediate removal. The attack was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish Americans amid Israel's escalating military offensive in Gaza. It followed the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy aides outside Washington's Capital Jewish Museum last month. WALK ON Run for Their Lives global coordinator Shira Weiss said the Boulder attack had stunned her organization, which has 230 chapters around the globe and says it is apolitical. "This is so sad that we were trying to do something positive and something good, and this horrible thing happened," she said. Following the attack, Weiss asked local chapters to pause their weekly walks, but overwhelmingly heard that people wanted to carry on. About 80% of chapters will hold their scheduled walks this weekend including in Boulder on Sunday. That will coincide with the city's 30th annual Jewish festival, which organizers said would go on with heightened security measures and a focus on Run for Their Lives. Weiss has received 20 inquiries about starting new chapters since the attack in Boulder, and has also seen an increase in the number of people wanting to walk with existing groups. Maya Bajayo, organizer for the Denver chapter of Run for Their Lives, said she expects all 50 members of her group to join the Boulder chapter on its Sunday walk. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Colorado fire-bomb suspect to make court appearance
A community vigil at the Boulder Jewish Community Center, following an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, U.S., June 4, 2025. Andy Cross/Pool via REUTERS A placard saying \"Boulder strong\" is displayed on a makeshift memorial outside the Boulder Courthouse, days after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, U.S., June 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mark Makela FILE PHOTO: Boulder attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman poses for a jail booking photograph after his arrest in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 2, 2025. Boulder Police Department/Handout via REUTERS/ File photo Police officers gather on Pearl Street in front of the Boulder County Courthouse, the scene of an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mark Makela/ File Photo A Boulder police officer patrols with a bomb smelling dog beside a makeshift memorial outside the Boulder Courthouse, days after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, U.S., June 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mark Makela The man charged with fire-bombing a Colorado march by people who wanted to raise awareness of Israeli hostages in Gaza is scheduled to be formally charged in state court on Thursday, as those he targeted vowed to carry on their efforts. State prosecutors say Mohamed Soliman, 45, faces nearly 400 years in prison on attempted murder charges in state court. He also faces other state charges. Prosecutors on Wednesday said the number of people injured in the attack rose to 15 ranging in age from 25 to 88. A dog also was injured. Soliman also faces federal hate crimes charges that carry a life sentence. A federal court appearance is scheduled for Friday. The Boulder public defenders office, listed in court documents as representing Soliman, did not respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors say that Soliman, an Egyptian national, on Sunday tossed Molotov cocktails and yelled "Free Palestine" at 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 entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2022 and recently lived in Colorado Springs. Federal officials say he had overstayed that tourist visa and his work permit had expired, and was in the country illegally. His family, including his wife, two teenagers and three younger children, were taken into custody on Tuesday and may be deported, though a federal judge on Wednesday blocked their immediate removal. The attack was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish Americans amid Israel's escalating military offensive in Gaza. It followed the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy aides that took place outside Washington's Capital Jewish Museum last month. WALK ON Shira Weiss, the global coordinator for the Run for Their Lives grassroots movement, said the Boulder attack had stunned her organization, which has 230 chapters around the globe. Weiss said it was bewildering why the organization - which she said is apolitical, aims to stay out of policy arguments and that had never threatened before - was targeted by Soliman. "This is so sad that we were trying to do something positive and something good, and this horrible thing happened," she said. Following the attack Weiss asked local chapters to pause their short weekly walks, but overwhelmingly heard back that people wanted to carry on. About 80% of chapters will hold their weekly walks as scheduled this weekend. That includes a Sunday walk in Boulder, which will coincide with the city's 30th annual Jewish festival, which organizers said would go on with heightened security measures and a focus on the efforts of Run for Their Lives. Weiss has received 20 inquiries about starting new chapters since the attack in Boulder, and has also seen an increase in the number of people wanting to walk with existing groups. Maya Bajayo, organizer for the Denver chapter of Run for Their Lives, said the group will join the Boulder chapter on its Sunday walk. Despite anxieties about security, she expects that all 50 regular members of her group would participate. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
7 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Family of Colorado fire-bomb suspect taken into ICE custody
FILE PHOTO: Police officers gather on Pearl Street in front of the Boulder County Courthouse, the scene of an attack that injured multiple people, in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mark Makela/File Photo The family of the Egyptian national charged with tossing gasoline bombs at a pro-Israeli rally in Colorado was taken into federal custody on Tuesday, officials said. 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. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
