Latest news with #RunForTheirLives
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boulder attack suspect faces 118 state-level criminal charges
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty addresses the media outside the Boulder County Justice Center in a June 5, 2025 press conference. (Screenshot from City of Boulder livestream) The man accused of attacking a group of demonstrators with incendiary devices on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall returned to court on Thursday, where prosecutors charged him with 118 criminal counts that could add up to a prison sentence of hundreds of years. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, appeared for a brief administrative hearing at the Boulder County Jail. A preliminary hearing in his state case was set for July 15. Three victims in the attack remained hospitalized as of Thursday, Boulder officials said, while other victims met with law enforcement at the Boulder County Justice Center. Authorities have identified a total of 15 victims in the attack, some of whom experienced an attempted assault and did not sustain injuries. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a news conference following the hearing that the charges against the defendant include 14 counts of attempted murder with intent, and 14 counts of attempted murder with extreme indifference. Other charges include attempted assault, the use of an incendiary device and the attempted use of an incendiary device, as well as an animal cruelty charge for a dog that sustained injuries during the attack. 'The charges reflect the evidence that we have regarding this horrific attack that took place, and the seriousness of it,' Dougherty said. The suspect allegedly told police that he targeted a demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall held by Run For Their Lives, which organizes events calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, because he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people.' He also faces a federal hate crime charge, and is set to make his first appearance in federal court on Friday. Additional federal charges are expected to follow. Federal authorities say the suspect, a Colorado Springs resident, was living in the U.S. unlawfully after overstaying a visa that expired in 2023. A federal judge in Denver has temporarily blocked the deportation of his wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their five children, after the Department of Homeland Security announced that it had taken them into custody and was 'processing (them) for removal proceedings from the U.S.' Dougherty said that he was 'absolutely committed' to fully prosecuting the defendant in the U.S. 'Obviously, making sure he remains in the country is a top priority, so that he can be fully prosecuted and held fully responsible,' Dougherty said. 'And I know the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau investigation and the Boulder Police Department — not to speak for them, but I think we're all equally committed to that goal.' Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said during Thursday's press conference to expect enhanced security and a 'very visible law enforcement presence' at Sunday's Boulder Jewish Festival, which was planned long in advance of the attack and will take place on the same block of the Pearl Street Mall where it occurred. 'We are bringing in SWAT elements, we will have drones, we will have a lot of people there,' Redfearn said. 'We want people to feel safe, we want people to feel at ease, and right now the best way we can do that is ensure that we have a large number of officers there to be ready to respond to anything.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Wall Street Journal
18 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
‘The Attacker Wanted Us to Burn.' Victims Recount Terror of Colorado Firebombing.
The first Molotov cocktail landed moments after the Run for Their Lives leader told the group they should feel safe to walk peacefully through the streets of Boulder, Colo. 'Just as I said that, the attacker wanted us to burn,' said Omer Shachar, 34 years old. 'I don't know how to call it—ironic, absurd.'
LBCI
a day ago
- General
- LBCI
Colorado fire-bomb suspect to make court appearance
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. 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. Reuters
Reuters
a day ago
- General
- Reuters
Colorado fire-bomb suspect to make court appearance
June 5 (Reuters) - 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. 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.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Colorado firebomb attack: US judge halts deportation of accused's family
A judge in Colorado has temporarily stopped the deportation of the family of Mohamed Soliman, the man accused of firebombing a pro-Israel gathering in Boulder. The order protects his wife and five children from removal while legal proceedings are underway. US District Judge Gordon P Gallagher issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) barring immigration authorities from deporting Soliman's wife, Hayem El Gamal, and their five minor children. The order will remain in effect until 13 June. "Defendants are temporarily restrained and enjoined from removing Hayem El Gamal and her five minor children from the State of Colorado or the United States," Judge Gallagher stated in the ruling. Soliman, an Egyptian national, was arrested on June 2 in connection with the attack on a pro-Israel group in Boulder. Authorities say that Soliman, who had overstayed his US visa, used an inflammable substance during the incident. Family facing deportation The restraining order followed an urgent legal request filed by Susanna Dvortsin, a friend of El Gamal. Dvortsin argued that the family risked immediate deportation without due process. Judge Gallagher agreed, citing the risk of 'irreparable harm' if the family were removed before a hearing. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for 13 June at the Byron G Rogers Courthouse in Denver, where the court will decide whether to extend or modify the restraining order. Pro-Israel demonstration attacked Six people were injured on 1 June when Soliman allegedly shouted 'Free Palestine' and attacked a crowd with an inflammable substance. The incident took place as members of the volunteer group Run For Their Lives were completing their weekly walk, held to raise awareness about hostages still detained in Gaza. Colorado Governor Jared Polis condemned the attack, stating that 'hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.' The incident occurred amid escalating tensions linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has contributed to a rise in antisemitic violence across the United States. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller commented on X, claiming the suspect was a foreign national who 'illegally overstayed (his) visa". According to CNN, Soliman had been denied a visa in 2005, though it remains unclear how he later entered and remained in the country.
