Latest news with #Osante
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boulder terror attack witness describes 'horrific' scene at pro-Israel rally
A man who witnessed Sunday afternoon's nightmarish firebombing of a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, described a gruesome scene in an interview with Fox News Digital. "I was right here… front row and center to this horrific event," Alex Osante, a tourist from San Diego, said Monday. "The terrorist, or the man – perpetrator – threw a Molotov cocktail and lit five people on fire. One of the persons was lit head to toe, and the other four people were severely burned. It was really sad. Very sad." Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, an Egyptian national in the United States illegally on an expired work visa, is suspected in the attack that took place at the Pearl Street Mall. Boulder Terror Attack Suspect Showed Signs Of Growing 'Lone-wolf' Radicalization, Says Former Fbi Supervisor Osante said he and other bystanders called first responders and helped the victims during the attack, but they did not know the exact nature of the attack at the time. He surmised that it could have been a mass shooting, or that someone could have set off a grenade. After viewing his own video of the attack, Osante said what he witnessed fell into place. Read On The Fox News App He said that the suspect came out of the bushes wearing a yellow vest and shirt with Molotov cocktails in each hand. "And he threw a Molotov cocktail at a woman, but when he threw the Molotov cocktail, he lit himself on fire," Osante said. "After he lit himself on fire, he came back, he took off his vest, which looked like a bulletproof vest, and the shirt." He described the suspect retreating to the bushes and grabbing two more Molotov cocktails, before standing menacingly and surveying the scene while the chaos ensued. Boulder Illegal Immigrant Terror Suspect's 'Possible Radicalization' Probed By Authorities: Retired Fbi Agent Osante said he's been to 87 countries and described the attack as "the most crazy, horrific incident I've ever seen." He said he returned to the location on Monday because he wanted to see the scene in a "state of normalcy." "Even though it was crazy, the good thing about it was that people from all different backgrounds and cultures and ethnicities came together as quickly as possible so they could help provide water and treatment and call 911 so that everything could return back to normal, and … find out who it was and stop the person from doing what he was doing." The pro-Israel advocates gathered on Sunday for a Run for Their Lives event, a run/walk to raise awareness about Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity. The victims ranged in age from 52 to 88, and one of them was left in critical condition. Soliman first arrived in the United States on a non-immigrant visa in August 2022. That visa expired in February 2023, but he remained in the country. He received a work permit from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in March 2023 that was valid through March of this year. He once again overstayed his visa and was in the country illegally during Sunday's attack. He has been charged federally with a hate crime. He has been charged in Colorado with murder in the first degree – deliberation with intent – criminal attempt; murder in the first degree – extreme indifference – criminal attempt; crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; first-degree assault – non-family; first-degree assault – heat of passion; criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies; and use of explosives or incendiary devices during felony. He remains in the Boulder County Jail on $10 million article source: Boulder terror attack witness describes 'horrific' scene at pro-Israel rally
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Boulder suspect backed off his initial plan to kill all in a group he called ‘Zionist,' police say
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. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up '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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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 US 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. 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. 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. Advertisement 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. 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 US 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. Advertisement
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
Colorado suspect posed as gardener and planned to kill group, court told
An FBI affidavit says Soliman confessed to the attack after being taken into custody on Sunday and 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 lawyer, public defender Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after the hearing. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall 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 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 hospitalised The victims were aged from 52 to 88, and their injuries ranged from serious to minor, officials said. All four of the latest victims had what police described as minor injuries. Six of the injured were taken to hospitals, and four had since been released, Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organiser connected to the group said. She said the clothing of one of those who remained hospitalised caught on fire. The volunteer group, called Run for Their Lives, was concluding its weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages in Gaza when video from the scene shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails'. A police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand. Witness Alex Osante of San Diego said he was on the other side of the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking and a 'boom' 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, whom Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. Molotov cocktails found Soliman said he dressed up like a gardener with an orange vest to get as close to the group as possible, even purchasing flowers from Home Depot, police wrote. Osante said that after the suspect threw the two incendiary devices, apparently setting himself on fire as he threw the second, he 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 Osante filmed. District attorney Michael Dougherty said 16 unused Molotov cocktails were recovered by law enforcement. The devices were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars, with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of them, the FBI said. Soliman told investigators he constructed homemade Molotov cocktails after doing research on YouTube and buying the ingredients. '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. 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 US citizen. Suspect hospitalised 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 photo taken in custody showed him with a large bandage over one ear. Soliman was living in the US illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, US Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on the social platform X. McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorisation in March 2023 that had expired. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved to Colorado Springs three years ago, where he lived with his wife and five children, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. Shameka Pruiett knew Soliman and his wife as kindly neighbours with three young children and two teenagers who would play with Pruiett's kids. Another neighbour, Kierra Johnson, said she could often hear shouting at night from his apartment and once called police because of the screaming and yelling. 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, Pruiett said. Israel's war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 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. Loading 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 per cent of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid.
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Suspect on expired visa charged over Molotov cocktail attack during Israeli rally in Colorado, US
A suspect has been charged over a Molotov cocktail attack at an Israeli rally in the US state of Colorado. Twelve people were injured but police have said no one was killed in the attack on Sunday in the city of Boulder. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been charged with attempted murder, hate crime, assault and the use of explosives, according to official records. Both federal and state prosecutors have filed separate criminal cases against him. More charges are also possible. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The father-of-five told investigators he had researched Molotov cocktails on YouTube before making them from glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of them, the FBI said. Four women and four men between the ages of 52 and 88 were taken to hospitals after the attack, Boulder Police said. Injuries raged from serious to minor, with four people since released from hospital, Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organiser connected to the rally group that was allegedly targeted, said. She said those still in hospital include one person whose clothing had caught on fire. In video captured by Alex Osante, a witness from San Diego, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. The suspect is being held on a $US10 million ($A15 million) bail. 'Had planned on dying' Osante witnessed the attack across the pedestrian mall, when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking and a 'boom' followed by people yelling and screaming. Soliman had 18 incendiary devices on him but only threw out two, he told investigators. He also had gas in a backpack sprayer but told investigators he didn't spray it on anyone but himself 'because he had planned on dying'. He didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before'. 'He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it,' police wrote in an affidavit. He told investigators he had been planning the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers. He had waited 'until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,' the affidavit says. Soliman also told investigators he had tried to buy a gun but was denied because he is not a legal US citizen. 'Illegally in our country' Soliman, who was born in Egypt, 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. Few details were available about the suspect but US Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons said Soliman had overstayed a visa and had an expired work permit. '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. '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 Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC 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 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 in a social media post. 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. The agency have called the incident a 'targeted terror attack'. The attack took place on the Pearl St Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district near the University of Colorado, during an event organised by Run For Their Lives. The organisation is 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 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. 'As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time.' — With AP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
4 additional victims identified in Boulder attack, bringing number of injured to 12
Four additional victims have been identified in the Boulder attack in which a man is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails into a Colorado group that had gathered to bring attention to Israeli hostages in Gaza, District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Monday, bringing the number of injured to 12. The man planned the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers unsealed Monday charging him with a federal hate crime. Witnesses in Boulder said the suspect, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, 45, yelled 'Free Palestine' and used a makeshift flamethrower and incendiary devices. Eight people were injured in the attack, some with burns. An FBI affidavit says Soliman confessed to the attack after being taken into custody Sunday and 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. 'He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it,' police wrote. 'Mohamed described his hopes for everyone in the Zionist group to die.' Federal court records don't list the name of an attorney who could speak on Soliman's behalf and no one answered the door at a Colorado Springs townhouse where public records show he lived. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall 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 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 eight 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. 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. 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' 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. Molotov cocktails found Soliman said he dressed up like gardener with an orange vest in order to get as close to the group as possible, even purchasing flowers from Home Depot, police wrote. 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.' He told investigators he only threw two Molotov cocktails at the group 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before,' police wrote. 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 Osante filmed. District Attorney Michael Dougherty said 16 unused Molotov cocktails were recovered by law enforcement. 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 he constructed homemade Molotov cocktails after doing research on YouTube and buying the ingredients. '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. 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 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. 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. Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved to Colorado Springs three years ago, where he lived with his wife and five kids, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. Colorado Springs neighbors recognized suspect Shameka Pruiett knew Soliman and his wife as kindly neighbors with three young kids and two teenagers, who'd play with Pruiett's kids. Another neighbor, Kierra Johnson, said she could often hear shouting at night from his apartment and once called police because of the screaming and yelling. 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. 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. The war in Gaza 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. 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. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
