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THE suspect accused of an anti-Semitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, has admitted that he spent over a year planning his sick crime.
Mohammed Sabry Soliman, 45, allegedly threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd that peacefully gathered to raise awareness on Israeli hostages in Gaza, injuring eight people.
Witnesses said they saw Soliman yelling “Free Palestine” as he used a makeshift flamethrower in the attack on Sunday.
Soliman confessed to the crime after being taken into custody and told police that he would do it again.
He was charged with a federal hate crime on Monday, and his mugshot was released, showing his face covered in bruises and a large bandage.
Soliman admitted that he planned the attack for a year, wanting to target what he called a “Zionist group,” said the FBI.
The attack happened at the Pearl Street Mall, where the group gathers weekly to bring attention to the hostages.
Soliman hid behind bushes near the mall and allegedly through a Molotov cocktail into the crowd, burning himself in the process.
After taking off his shirt and revealing that he had a bulletproof vest underneath, Soliman allegedly used a flamethrower and gasoline to set several people on fire.
Video showed Soliman holding two clear bottles with a clear liquid in them as he yelled at onlookers.
Eight people were injured in the attack, including a Holocaust survivor, but there were no deaths.
“As a result of these preliminary attacks, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,” Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge at the FBI’s Denver field office, said on Sunday.
Soliman was booked on several charges, including first-degree murder, despite no victims being killed in the attack.
His bond is set at $10 million.
CHILLING FIND
More than a dozen unlit Molotov cocktails were found near where Soliman was arrested, said the FBI.
Inside his car, investigators found papers with the words “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID.”
FBI Denver’s statement
On June 1 at 1:26 p.m. Boulder Police were called to the outdoor Pearl Street Mall for a report of an attack on a group of individuals. The individuals were walking in a regularly scheduled, weekly peaceful event.
Officers rushed to the scene at 1325 Pearl St. and arrested the suspect at 1:32 p.m. The suspect has been identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County. He was taken to the hospital to be medically evaluated before being booked in the Boulder County Jail on multiple charges.
Witnesses reported that the suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. The suspect was also heard to yell “Free Palestine” during the attack.
After receiving updated information, law enforcement officials have now identified eight victims: Four women and four men ages 52 to 88 were taken to Denver metro hospitals.
The Boulder Police Department notified the FBI and requested their assistance within minutes of the attack and are grateful for our partnership and their assistance.
The FBI is investigating the attack as a targeted act of terrorism and is working with the Boulder Police Department to process the crime scene, interview witnesses, and gather evidence.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anyone with digital media—videos, social media posts, digital recordings—is asked to upload that at fbi.gov/boulderattack.
Source: FBI Denver
Soliman told authorities that he made the Molotov cocktails at home after researching on YouTube.
“He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,” said the FBI.
The Department of Homeland Security shared that Soliman had been living in the US illegally after entering the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was given a work authorization in March 2023 that had expired.
President Donald Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for the attack in a statement on Monday.
“Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“He came in through Biden’s ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly. He must go out under ‘TRUMP’ Policy.
The attack comes after two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC.
