The city of Boulder, Colorado, is mourning after a brutal firebombing attack left 12 people injured during a peaceful demonstration advocating for the release of Israeli hostages. On Wednesday evening, residents planned to gather at a local Jewish community center for a vigil to honor the victims and condemn the violence.
Authorities say 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman intended to kill all 20 participants in Sunday’s demonstration at Boulder’s busy Pearl Street Mall. According to an FBI affidavit, Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails while shouting “Free Palestine” before catching fire himself. He reportedly abandoned his larger plan out of fear and inexperience.
Soliman, an Egyptian national living in the US illegally, expressed no remorse for the attack and told investigators his goal was “to kill all Zionist people.” He had reportedly spent a year planning the assault, waiting until his daughter graduated high school.
Federal and state charges are pending against Soliman, including attempted murder and federal hate crimes. He is currently held on a $10 million bond. His wife and five children were taken into custody by immigration officials Tuesday and face possible deportation an unusual step that has drawn national attention.
The victims, aged 52 to 88, were part of “Run For Their Lives,” a volunteer group that holds weekly pro-Israel rallies. Six people were hospitalised, including three who remain in care as of Tuesday. One of the victims is a Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi persecution as a child.
The attack occurred at the start of the Jewish holiday Shavuot and follows a broader rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Just days earlier, another man shouting “Free Palestine” was charged with killing two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC.
Soliman’s background includes 17 years in Kuwait before arriving in the US in 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in early 2023. He later applied for asylum and briefly held a work permit. Homeland Security confirmed his immigration status had lapsed. Federal officials confirmed his family’s visa revocations, although no additional details were released.
Despite the horror of the attack, Boulder residents are coming together to support the victims and reject hate. The Wednesday vigil aims to promote healing and solidarity in a community shaken by one of the most violent hate crimes in recent Colorado history.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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