Fire incident at Boulder's Pearl Street Mall in Colorado injures eight people, authorities affirm; suspect apprehended
Unleashing Chaos: The Boulder Terror Strike
A suspect's arrest has been made following a shocking "targeted act of violence" at Pearl Street Mall inColorado on a fateful Sunday.
Bystanders reported that the suspect employed a "DIY flamethrower" and hurled Molotov cocktails during a gathering in support of Israeli hostages. These inflammatory devices left several victims severely burnt. Boulder police confirmed that eight individuals, including four women and four men, aged between 52 and 88, were rushed to local hospitals.
The assailant was later identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, according to the FBI Special Agent in Charge, Mike Michalek, who revealed this information during a Sunday evening press conference. The suspect allegedly shouted "free Palestine" during the horrific incident, which led authorities to classify the attack as terrorism.
Soliman is an Egyptian national who initially entered the U.S on a non-immigrant visa in 2022. Soliman's visa expired in February 2023. Sources close to the investigation reported that he had been residing in Colorado Springs before the attack.
In the afternoon of the same day, the FBI stated that they were "carrying out court-authorized law enforcement operations related to the Pearl Street Mall incident" in El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located.
The peaceful memorial, planned and organized by Run For Their Lives, was ambushed in downtown Boulder at the moment of the attack. Two sources claimed that witnesses also heard the suspect yelling "End Zionist!" during the violence.
Among the victims of the attack were four women and four men, with one patient in critical condition, according to Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn. The 88-year-old casualty was a Holocaust refugee who had escaped Europe, offering a poignant reminder of the harrowing history of hostilities. Another fatality was a professor at CU, as confirmed by Rabbi Israel Wilhelm, Chabad director at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Witnesses reported that bystanders were writhing on the ground, while others rushed to help with water as soon as the attack transpired. The date of the attack, June 1st, saw three blocks of Pearl Street evacuated due to the ongoing investigation. The evacuations were eventually lifted after nightfall.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who is Jewish, vehemently condemned the attack, citing it as a "heinous and targeted act on the Jewish community." Polis also underscored the concerns in the Jewish community, given recent hate-related attacks in Washington D.C. and the upcoming holiday of Shavuot.
The targets of this attack joined a weekly gathering to raise awareness for the Israeli hostages who remain captive in Gaza. The group, Run For Their Lives, expressed their outrage, declaring, "This is not a protest; it is a peaceful walk to show solidarity with the hostages and their families, and a plea for their release."
In an interview, participant Ed Victor shared his shock and distress in the face of the attack. He reflected on their repeated weekly walks since the Hamas attack in October 2023, involving up to 30 individuals marching together. Despite occasional hecklers, the group maintained a peaceful approach, with Victor sharing that he never anticipated such an assault.
Connected to the investigation, FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard all labeled the attack as a terrorist assault. Indeed, it is a dark reminder that acts of hatred persist even in our communities that value peace and collaboration.
[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/colorsado/[2] https://www.nytimes.com/[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/[4] https://abcnews.go.com/
- The crime committed at Pearl Street Mall in Colorado has led to significant discussion in the realm of law and justice, with the FBI deemed necessary to investigate it as a terrorist act.
- Healthcare services have been pushed to the limit in the aftermath of the Boulder terror strike, as several victims, including an 88-year-old Holocaust refugee, were left severely injured.
- Political leaders and Jewish communities across the country, including Colorado's Governor Jared Polis, have denounced the attack as a hate crime, expressing concerns over recent incidents and the upcoming holiday of Shavuot.
- General-news and crime-and-justice outlets have been covering the events in Boulder extensively, while sports news have taken a backseat, leaving sports fans to seek updates on their favorite teams from sources such as CBS News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ABC News.
