Latest news with #terrorattack
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
As Boulder returns to normal after Colorado terror attack, local shop dog puts smiles on faces
It's been three days since the terror attack outside the old Boulder Courthouse in Colorado, and things on Pearl Street Mall are starting to feel somewhat normal again. Business owners and regulars still feel a sense of unease, but outside one shop, vintage clothing store Heady Bauer, there's someone who is reminding them to smile a bit each day. His name is Hammy, and his owner, known locally as 'Pinner', has had him coming by the shop for a couple of years. "He's Pearl Street's Therapy Dog," Pinner told CBS Colorado. It's a bit of a running joke, but in the last week, it's taken on a whole new meaning. CBS Pinner was outside when the attack happened on Sunday. He saw flames, followed by people screaming and others running. The initial confusion eventually gave way to a realization that something was wrong. By the time the police arrived, 15 people had been injured in the firebomb attack. The suspected attacker, 45-year-old Mohamad Soliman, is being held in Boulder County Jail, accused of a number of crimes, including attempted first-degree murder. 'Pinner' was told to close up his shop as the police expanded their perimeter, which he did with Hammy looking on. "The cops came by saying 'Hey, everyone needs to clear out' and then they wanted to sweep the place, so you're wondering if everything is still fine," he said. "When I came back to the shop, I saw Hammy standing at the front with a smile on his face, and was like 'Man, what it would be like to be a dog.'" Pinner would leave the area and eventually pour himself a drink when his nerves had subsided. The news of the tragedy started to trickle in and eventually became a worldwide headline. As he grappled with what happened on Sunday afternoon, he found a source of comfort in his loyal golden retriever. "You're just replaying things in your brain," he said. "Like, is this real? Did I really just witness that? Am I dreaming?" CBS Three days after the events, there is a makeshift memorial of flowers and Israeli flags for those injured in the attack. Tourists are returning to the Pearl Street Mall, but business owners have told CBS Colorado that a general sense of unease still permeates the area around the courthouse. "When things like that happen, it takes a while for people to settle back into it," Pinner explained. On Wednesday afternoon, those who walked near the courthouse area with a strange feeling were greeted by a friendly face: Hammy the dog. In a lot of ways, he's become something of a source of comfort for business owners and locals in the area. While they look across the parking lot towards the courthouse, they can see reminders of a tragic situation. But if they turn around, they can see Hammy and get a sense that everything is going to be okay. CBS Pearl Street, to many, is weird and wonderful. It has its good and bad, its bright spots and warts. But to those who have a business here or walk its streets regularly, it's home. It will rebuild and heal, with a community effort and occasionally, a sniff and a lick from Hammy. "It's a lot more pure and innocent with him," Pinner explained. "You see a dog and they're just happy to be existing and that's kind of beautiful."
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
New Lynn stabbing attack: Supermarket visits 'insurmountable obstacle', inquest told
Ahamed Samsudeen coming out of the New Lynn train station, on the day of the attack on September 3, 2021. Photo: Supplied Content warning: This report contains content some may consider disturbing. The inquest into the LynnMall terror attack will see further analysis of video showing how the assault unfolded, when it resumes on Thursday. Ahamed Samsudeen stabbed five people and injured two others at a Woolworths supermarket in Auckland's New Lynn, before he was shot and killed by police. Survivors at the inquest on Wednesday watched a video of Ahamed Samsudeen pausing to put on a red glove inside the supermarket . He was then seen ripping a knife from its packaging and rushing at his first victim. What happened next scarred survivors physically and emotionally. One survivor, who had name suppression, told the inquest just how much of an impact the attack had on her. "For some, the mere thought of entering a supermarket has become an insurmountable obstacle," she said. "We are no longer the individuals we used to be, and coming to terms with this reality is profoundly difficult." Samsudeen's rampage ended after he was shot 12 times by police. He had been granted refugee status in 2013, was identified by the SIS as a terrorist threat in early 2017, and was under surveillance at the time of the attack on 3 September, 2021. Detective Senior Sergeant Jason McIntosh told the inquest about the moment authorities noticed a change in his social media posting. "Recent content continues to reference Jannah, in brackets 'afterlife', and death, he's referenced literature on lone wolf terrorism" McIntosh said. "Samsudeen has begun to increasingly include his own commentary when posting, which may assist with understanding his mindset going forward." The inquest was shown footage of Samsudeen's previous trip to the supermarket - roughly a month before the attack. He could be seen walking to the knives aisle, appearing to take special notice of the items on the shelves. McIntosh was questioned by police counsel Alysha McClintock over Samsudeen's movements in the time leading up to the attack, as recorded in surveillance logs. "Once it was understood that Mr Samsudeen had visited the New Lynn Countdown previously on the 12th of August, the footage we've just seen, was there subsequently by one of your colleagues, an endeavour to go through the surveillance logs and look at the locations that might have had knifes and or other weapons that Mr Samsudeen had visited," McClintock asked. "Correct, yes" McIntosh replied. The logs revealed Samsudeen made about 119 visits to more than 60 different locations that could have had knives or other weapons. The lawyer representing the interests of Samsudeen's family, Fletcher Pilditch, asked McIntosh about the police surveillance of Samsudeen. "Was it the observations that had been made and recorded by the surveillance team that enabled you after the 3rd of September to then go and identify other places where he had been? "And I don't need to pry into where that information came from, I was just interested in the source of it," Pilditch said. "I do know that we compiled a list post investigation," McIntosh responded. The inquest was expected on Thursday to go through a frame-by-frame analysis of CCTV footage from the attack, as well as hearing technical evidence later in the day.
The Independent
19 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Official White House X account targets Boulder attack suspect's family with deportation threat
The White House 's official X account posted a tweet threatening to deport the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the man accused of carrying out a terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday. 'Wife and Kids of Illegal Alien Behind Antisemitic Firebombing Could Be Deported as Soon as Tonight,' the account posted on Tuesday, alongside two images of Soliman. It was accompanied by a caption, complete with an airplane emoji, that read: 'Six One-Way Tickets for Mohamed's Wife and Five Kids. Final Boarding Call Coming Soon.' Soliman, 45, was charged with a federal hate crime and 16 counts of attempted murder after being detained at the scene of the attack on a 'Run For Their Lives' event, which was attended by peaceful demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas since October 7, 2023. Twelve people were wounded when an attacker bearing Molotov cocktails and what the FBI described as a 'makeshift flamethrower' attacked the activists at the weekly demonstration, shouting 'Free Palestine!' as he did so, according to eyewitnesses. The victims were aged between 52 and 88 and were taken to hospitals in the Denver metro area for treatment. One of their number was a Holocaust survivor. It subsequently emerged that Soliman, an Egyptian national who investigators said was planning the assault for over a year, had been in the United States illegally, his visa having expired two years earlier, and a subsequent work authorization expiring this March. On Tuesday, Fox News reported that Soliman's wife and five children had been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and entered into proceedings for 'expedited removal.' Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said that her agency was investigating the 'extent' to which Soliman's family had known about his intentions in advance of Sunday's atrocity. 'This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' Noem said in a video posted on X. 'We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it.' Among those criticizing the White House's post on X for being in poor taste was Grok, Elon Musk 's own artificial intelligence tool. Asked if it was 'fascist' for Donald Trump 's administration to 'round up the families of criminals and punish them also,' it replied simply: 'Yes.' Pressed to elaborate, it answered more fully: 'Deporting illegal aliens who committed terrorism in the USA is legally permissible under laws like the Antiterrorism Act of 1996, but deporting their families, if also undocumented, is controversial. 'It's not explicitly mandated and raises ethical issues, like collective punishment and family separation, impacting children most. Some label it fascist for resembling authoritarian tactics, while others see it as lawful security enforcement. 'The term 'fascist' depends on intent and execution – mass deportation without due process leans authoritarian, but targeted, legal deportation doesn't inherently fit. Evidence shows both security needs and human rights concerns, leaving the debate unresolved.'
RNZ News
a day ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Lynnmall terror attack survivor tells inquest of ongoing trauma
A survivor of the Lynnmall terror attack, nearly four years ago, broke down in tears as she told the inquest into the death of Ahamed Samsudeen of the physical and emotional scars that continue to take a toll on their everyday lives. Samsudeen stabbed five people, and injured two others at a Woolworths supermarket in Auckland's New Lynn, before he was shot and killed by police. He had been granted refugee status in 2013, was identified by the SIS as a terrorist threat in early 2017, and was under surveillance at the time of the attack. Phase one of a five-week inquest delving into the events of 3 September, 2021 and Samsudeen's path to extremism, and the management of him in the community, has commenced at a coroner's court on Wednesday. A survivor, who has name suppression, told the inquest that simple triggers like the smell of milk, the sound of screaming, or the wail of sirens can abruptly transport them back to that terrifying moment. Ahamed Samsudeen visiting the New Lynn Woolworths about a month prior to the attack. Photo: Supplied "For some the mere thought of entering a supermarket has become an insurmountable obstacle and a stark reminder of the trauma we continue to endure," she said through tears. She said seemingly ordinary experiences can leave them feeling emotionally drained and unable to lead the lives they once did. "We find ourselves in a constant state of high alert, caught in a relentless cycle of fight flight or freeze, this heightened awareness is an exhausting burden that complicates our ability to navigate everyday life," she said. Photo: 2021 Getty Images She said many survivors still suffer pain and long term nerve damage to their faces, legs and arms, and while some have received formal post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses through ACC, others who witnessed the violence and had intervened to help others have been left behind and are not being supported financially to address their trauma - "All of those bills come at a cost to the innocent," she said. The survivor said their group want to seek answers through this inquest around the circumstances that allowed the terror attack to unfold. She added that it's also their right to question why meaningful change to implement legal changes to protect New Zealanders from people who posed a security threat, like Samsudeen, took so long to implement. She said by comparison, the government's swift legislative changes to gun laws following the 2019 Christchurch Mosque attacks showed that it's possible to act swiftly in the aftermath to an act of violence. The survivor said she felt the government failed to give the same level of urgency and consideration in its response to the Lynnmall terror attack. Ahamed Samsudeen coming out of the New Lynn train station, on the day of the attack on September 3, 2021. Photo: Supplied An extended CCTV compilation video capturing Samsudeen's journey to Lynnmall on 3 September, 2021, has been played to the inquest. The videos captured Samsudeen as he walked from the mosque in West Auckland where he stayed to a local dairy, before boarding a train that took him to the New Lynn train station. Samsudeen is seen wearing a camouflage hoody with the word "legacy" printed on the front, and a pair of matching camouflage pants. CCTV footage also captured Samsudeen waiting outside Woolworths New Lynn in a queue, keeping social distancing as it was during the Covid-lockdown period.
Fox News
a day ago
- General
- Fox News
Timeline exposes Boulder suspect's movements before allegedly carrying out firebomb attack on pro-Israel group
Officials allege Mohamed Sabry Soliman targeted a peaceful pro-Israel protest on Sunday in what is being described as a terror attack that left 12 people injured. Soliman's journey to the United States began in August 2022 when he arrived in the country on a B1/B2 visa and was supposed to leave in February 2023, but the Biden administration gave him work authorization through March 2025, two months before he was accused of injuring 12 people at a pro-Israel peaceful protest in Boulder, Colorado. Soliman allegedly told federal and local law enforcement officials that he targeted a "Zionist group" that gathered in Boulder because he wanted to stop them from taking over "our land," which he said is "Palestine." Soliman allegedly told law enforcement that he had been planning the attack for a year, waiting until after his daughter graduated to carry it out. Here's a timeline of Soliman's journey to the United States: Soliman flew into Los Angeles International Airport on a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa on Aug. 27, 2022, sources told Fox News. Sources told Fox News that Soliman made some kind of claim through United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which was possibly for asylum. Sources told Fox News that Soliman's B1/B2 visa was set to expire on Feb. 26, 2023, but he didn't leave the country. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services gave Soliman work authorization on March 29, 2023, which was valid for around two years, sources said. Soliman began driving for Uber in the spring of 2023, a spokesperson for the company told Fox News Digital. Uber said Soliman met all requirements to drive for the company, which include passing a criminal and driving history background check, holding a valid Social Security number and providing a photo ID. One of Soliman's neighbors told Fox News Digital that Soliman was "not home that often" because he was "working really hard." A Veros health spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Soliman began working at the company in its accounting department. "He was hired in our accounting department. He went through a hiring process with ADP, our employer [Professional Employer Organization]. At the time of hire, he was confirmed to have a valid work visa, which was noted to expire in March 2025," the spokesperson said. Soliman's employment with Veros Health ended in August 2023, according to a company spokesperson. "We can confirm that Mohamed Soliman worked with Veros from May 2023 to August 2023," the spokesperson said. Soliman's work authorization ended in March 2025 after it was granted under the Biden administration in March 2023, sources said. Soliman was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at the pro-Israel group "Run for Their Lives" as they were protesting for the release of Hamas' hostages. Twelve people were injured. Soliman was charged with first-degree murder, crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; first-degree assault, criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies, and use of explosives or incendiary devices during a felony. Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital he's concerned the Biden administration didn't do a good enough job at vetting Soliman when he first came to the United States. "When we look at the border and how open the border was for over four years, literally wide open," Gilliam said. "The problem with individuals like this guy…is that they are presenting themselves as activists. They're presenting themselves as altruistic and acting out for a cause for the greater good." Gilliam said it's likely Soliman has harbored "hatred" for a period of time, but chose to act out on it now. "He came from an area where the hate is taught his entire life, of America, of Israel," Gilliam said. "He planned the event for a year, but he already had the hatred inside of him. So you're just seeing them act out on something that is already inside of them."
