Latest news with #PearlStreetMall
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Emergency fund created for victims, Jewish safety after Boulder terrorist attack
DENVER (KDVR) — Boulder Jewish leadership has created an emergency fund to help support the Jewish community after Sunday's attack that left 12 people injured, including two people who were still hospitalized as of Monday afternoon. The fund was established by JEWISHcolorado, a nonprofit that aims to convene, connect, invest and protect Jewish life in Colorado, Israel and around the world. The organization created the fund the day after an attack on a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration on the Pearl Street Mall. The suspect in the case is facing a federal hate crime charge and the attack has been described as terrorism by multiple law enforcement agencies. Total injured in Boulder attack increases to 12; federal hate crime charge filed 'In the wake of yesterday's horrific attacks on peaceful participants at the Run for Their Lives event in Boulder, our community is reeling but standing strong together,' the nonprofit wrote. 'Since the moment this violence occurred, JEWISHcolorado has been in constant communication with Boulder Jewish Community leadership to assess immediate and ongoing needs.' The nonprofit said that it has a goal of $160,000 for the Boulder community that will be used in response to the attack in four areas: enhanced safety and security measures, direct victim support, comprehensive trauma support and emerging community needs. The organization said that it would be using the funds to: Provide additional protections for Jewish institutions, events and gathering places in Boulder County; Offer immediate financial assistance to individuals directly impacted by the attack to help with medical expenses, lost wages, transportation and other urgent personal needs Offer professional counseling and healing resources to both direct victims and community members experiencing secondary trauma Unforeseen challenges that may arise during this period 'Thank you in advance for your support, and we continue to pray for a complete recovery for those injured in the attacks and continue to hold all hostages in our hearts,' the nonprofit wrote. Donations can be made through this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Suspect Used ‘Makeshift Flamethrower' During Boulder Attack
A 45-year-old man used a makeshift flamethrower and lobbed Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel demonstrators in a Boulder attack now being investigated by the FBI as an act of terrorism. Colorado law enforcement arrested Mohamed Sabry Soliman on Sunday after he attacked a group of people calling for the release of hostages in Gaza, wounding eight people at the Pearl Street Mall demonstration. Boulder police chief Stephen Redfearn said authorities rushed to the scene just before 1.30 p.m. after multiple callers reported a man with weapons setting people on fire. 'Our officers rushed as quickly as they could somewhere close to the area, and they immediately ran into a chaotic situation where a man was throwing Molotov cocktails and using other devices to hurt people,' he said in a Sunday night news conference. Officers immediately detained the suspect and aided victims, Redfearn said. All eight victims, aged 52 to 88, were taken to hospitals in Boulder and the Denver metro area. At least one was in critical condition. Soliman was also hurt and brought to a hospital for examination. Police said they believed Soliman acted alone. Online booking records show Soliman was booked shortly before midnight on multiple felony charges, including one count of using explosives or incendiary devices to commit a felony, first-degree assault against an elderly or at-risk adult, and two counts of murder in the first degree. So far, authorities have not announced any deaths from the Pearl Street Mall attack, though at least one victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The Daily Beast has reached out to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office for comment. One witness told MSNBC News that he saw the victims were 'having their skin melt off their bodies.' President Trump had not publicly commented on the attack Sunday night, but a senior White House official told ABC News that Trump has been briefed. FBI Special Agent Mark Michalek said the attack happened at a weekly event. Boulder's Jewish Community said the demonstrators were participating in the Run for Their Lives Walk, a movement raising awareness and calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas. 'Witnesses are reporting that the subject used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd,' he said. 'The suspect was heard to yell, 'Free Palestine' during the attack.' 'As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,' Michalek added. 'Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country.' Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino added on X: '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.' Redfearn initially told reporters that police were hesitant to label the attack as an act of terrorism, citing the fact that it was too early into the investigation to form such a view. In a follow-up press conference, he did not specify whether police viewed it as such but did label it an 'attack.' Michael Dougherty, district attorney for Boulder County, vowed to uncover the events leading up to the shocking attack. '[Authorities] are working hand in hand to ensure that we secure all the evidence, all the information and all the witness statements we need to hold the attacker fully accountable,' he said. 'That is my promise: to hold the attacker fully accountable.'
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Former Chicago area man says he stepped in moments after Boulder, Colorado attack
Twelve people were injured in an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, and the suspect is now facing federal hate crime charges. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is accused of using a makeshift flamethrower and throwing Molotov cocktails at members of the group Run for Their Lives on Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder on Sunday afternoon. Police there said at least 12 people suffered burn injuries. Run for Their Lives was holding a weekly walk and demonstration raising awareness for the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. Prosecutors said Soliman posed as a gardener to get close to the group, and planned to use the Molotov cocktails to kill them all. Aaron Brooks is a member of Run for Their Lives Boulder, and stepped in moments after the attack. Brooks used to live in the north Chicago suburb of Highland Park, and saw the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting at a 4th of July parade that killed seven people in 2022. Now, Brooks lives in Colorado. He attends the weekly walk with the local Run for Their Lives chapter in Boulder, and he said among the victims of the attack on Sunday was a Holocaust survivor. "It's not a rally. It's not a protest," Brooks said of Run for Their Lives' events. Prosecutors and witnesses like Brooks said Soliman yelled, "Free Palestine!" "I saw smoke, fire — a guy standing with no shirt on, with two bottles in his hands," Brooks said. Brooks moved to Boulder about three years ago from Highland Park. He showed up Sunday moments after the attack. "I don't know what got into me, so I started to yell at the guy: 'What did you do? Why did you do this?' I still can't believe what I saw," said Brooks. "I'm not even close to surprised — and if anybody is surprised, they have not been paying attention." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Soliman, originally from Egypt, was living in the U.S. illegally after entering the country three years ago and overstaying his tourist visa. He is now charged federally with the commission of a hate crime. "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," said J. Bishop Grewell, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado. In Chicago a Run for Their Lives chapter walked three hours before the attack in Boulder. Brooks said his group will not be intimidated. But he said future meetups may look different. "We are not afraid of anybody, and I want people to know that. But we're not stupid either," Brooks said. "We're being hunted, and when you're being hunted, you don't put yourself as the prey in front of the one with the gun." Prosecutors said Soliman attempted to buy a gun to carry out the attack on Sunday, but was not able to do so because he is not a citizen. He instead turned to using incendiary devices, prosecutors said.
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Colorado firebomb suspect spent a year planning attack on pro-Israel group
An Egyptian man has been accused of throwing firebombs at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, injuring at least 12 people. Prosecutors said the man, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, had been planning the attack for over a year. The man used Molotov cocktails because he couldn't buy guns since he is not a US 45, used Molotov cocktails during the attack, which happened at the Pearl Street Mall on Sunday. That area is a popular pedestrian zone near the University of Colorado. The rally was organised by a pro-Israel group, Run for Their Lives.'advertisementAccording to court documents, Soliman told investigators he wanted to "kill all Zionist people" but delayed it until his daughter graduated from high school. He also said he learned how to make bombs by watching YouTube videos. Authorities said many of the victims were elderly. After the attack, 16 Molotov cocktails were found near Soliman. A gasoline can was discovered in his nearby car, and he had also brought a weed sprayer filled with gasoline to the FIREBOMBS DUE TO IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONSPolice and FBI affidavits quoted the suspect as saying he had learned to shoot a gun in a class he took for the purpose of obtaining a concealed-carry permit but ended up using Molotov cocktails because of his immigration status. Soliman told investigators that he had learned how to make firebombs from Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said Soliman had overstayed a tourist visa and had an expired work permit. He had been living in Colorado Springs with his wife and five moved to Colorado three years ago after living in Kuwait for 17 years. Federal and state prosecutors have filed multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault, and a federal hate crime. If convicted, Soliman could face a life sentence under the federal hate crime charge and up to 384 years for the state OFFICIALS CONDEMN ATTACKUS President Donald Trump said in a social media post that 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 the attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media: "In light of yesterday's horrific attack, all terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathisers here on a visa should know that under the Trump administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you."US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the incident an "antisemitic terror attack" and said Soliman would be held fully a court hearing on Monday, Soliman appeared via video from Boulder County Jail. He spoke only briefly, answering "yes" to some questions. 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.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Vile remark by Boulder suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman as he admits he spent over a YEAR planning antisemitic bomb attack
THE suspect accused of the antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, has admitted that he spent over a year planning his sick crime. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, allegedly threw Molotov cocktails and used a makeshift flamethrower to target a crowd that peacefully gathered to raise awareness on Israeli hostages in Gaza, injuring 12 people. 4 Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails into a crowd of people on Sunday Credit: Boulder Police Department 4 Twelve people were injured in the attack, which Soliman said he spent a year planning Credit: EPA Witnesses said they saw Soliman yelling "Free Palestine" as he used a converted garden sprayer as a flamethrower in the attack on Sunday. Soliman confessed to the crime with vile remarks after being taken into custody. He told police that "he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead," according to an FBI affidavit. "Soliman stated he would do it (conduct an attack) again." He was charged with a federal hate crime on Monday, and his mugshot was released, showing his face covered in bruises and a large bandage. Soliman admitted that he planned the attack for a year, wanting to target what he called a "Zionist group," said the FBI. The attack happened at the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder, where the group gathers weekly to bring attention to the hostages. Soliman hid behind bushes near the mall and allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail into the crowd, burning himself in the process. After taking off his shirt and revealing that he had a bulletproof vest underneath, Soliman allegedly used the flamethrower and gasoline to set several people on fire. Video showed Soliman holding two clear bottles with a clear liquid in them as he yelled at onlookers. Twelve people were injured in the attack, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, but there were no deaths. FBI Denver's statement On June 1 at 1:26 p.m. Boulder Police were called to the outdoor Pearl Street Mall for a report of an attack on a group of individuals. The individuals were walking in a regularly scheduled, weekly peaceful event. Officers rushed to the scene at 1325 Pearl St. and arrested the suspect at 1:32 p.m. The suspect has been identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County. He was taken to the hospital to be medically evaluated before being booked in the Boulder County Jail on multiple charges. Witnesses reported that the suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. The suspect was also heard to yell 'Free Palestine' during the attack. After receiving updated information, law enforcement officials have now identified eight victims: Four women and four men ages 52 to 88 were taken to Denver metro hospitals. The Boulder Police Department notified the FBI and requested their assistance within minutes of the attack and are grateful for our partnership and their assistance. The FBI is investigating the attack as a targeted act of terrorism and is working with the Boulder Police Department to process the crime scene, interview witnesses, and gather evidence. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anyone with digital media—videos, social media posts, digital recordings—is asked to upload that at Source: FBI Denver "As a result of these preliminary attacks, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism," Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge at the FBI's Denver field office, said on Sunday. His bond is set at $10 million. CHILLING FIND More than a dozen unlit Molotov cocktails were found near where Soliman was arrested, said the FBI. Inside his car, investigators found papers with the words "Israel," "Palestine," and "USAID." Soliman told authorities that he made the Molotov cocktails at home after researching on YouTube. "He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack," said the FBI. Soliman had been living in the US illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was given a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired, DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. President Donald Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for the attack in a statement on Monday. "Yesterday's horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He came in through Biden's ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly. He must go out under 'TRUMP' Policy. The attack comes after two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC. 4 Soliman was seen holding bottles with clear liquid during the attack
