FBI Declares Colorado Flamethrower Assailant Plotted Attack for More Than One Year
A fellow named Mohamad Sabry Soliman, 45, posing as a gardener in Boulder, Colorado, aimed to slaughter a local group openly demanding the liberation of Israeli hostages in Gaza. However, upon second thought, he decided to merely hurl two Molotov cocktails instead of the planned eighteen, yelling "Free Palestine" while inadvertently burning himself in the process. Alas, a dozen people still ended up injured during the Sunday incident.
According to authorities, Soliman had been plotting this attack for over a year and deliberately targeted the gathering as a "Zionist group." In court documents, they accuse him of a hate crime and attempted murder. During a press conference on Monday, Acting US Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado stated that Soliman expressed no remorse for the attack, even admiring the opportunity to perform it again.
This act of violence unfolded in the bustling Pearl Street pedestrian mall, where tensions in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war have escalated, leading to an increase in antisemitic incidents across the United States. The attack occurred on the first day of Shavuot and only a week after another individual, yelling similar sentiments, was indicted for taking the lives of two Israeli embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington.
The recipients of Soliman's Molotov cocktails sustained injuries ranging from minor to severe, with four of them subsequently released from hospitals. Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organizer associated with the group, said one of the remaining hospital patients had suffered some clothing ignition during the attack. Witness Alex Osante, from San Diego, told about the incident he saw, as a crash and explosion echoed across the mall, followed by chaos and yelling.
Video footage captured by Osante reveals people pouring water on a woman who sustained burns during the attack, seeking to extinguish the flames. The suspect, bare-chested and visibly injured, discarded his shirt and apparent bulletproof vest before police arrived. After his apprehension, Soliman reportedly confessed to the attack, stating he was driven by an intense desire to eradicate "Zionist people."
Investigations suggest Soliman was living in the United States illegally, having entered the country on an expired B2 visa in August 2022. Federal and state prosecutors have filed separate charges against him, including specific charges related to hate crimes and attempted murder, with more charges potentially forthcoming in federal court.
Soliman's attorney, Kathryn Herold, declined to comment on the matter following the court appearance. Born in Egypt, Soliman resided in Colorado Springs with his family for the past three years. Neighbors have reported hearing shouting noises from his apartment on some nights.
While the full extent of Soliman's actions remains under investigation, this attack has been widely condemned for its heinous nature. Local and federal authorities are working together to ensure justice for the victims and hold Soliman accountable for his actions.
- Migration and politics intertwined as authorities investigate whether Soliman entered the country on an expired B2 visa in 2022.
- The latest incident of war-and-conflicts-fueled crime and justice, as Soliman's attack on a local group demanding Israeli hostages' liberation contributes to rising antisemitic incidents and general news coverage in the United States.
