During a peaceful pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, multiple individuals were injured when a man without a shirt and screaming threw Molotov cocktails at them.

The FBI Director, Kash Patel, referred to the incident as a ‘targeted terror attack’ on the demonstrators who had gathered to honor the victims of October 7 still held captive in Gaza on Sunday afternoon.

The horror unfolded during the event, organized by Run For Their Lives, on Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder at around 1.26pm, police said. 

Witnesses at the scene captured shocking videos and images showing some victims lying on the ground next to Israeli flags, while others attempted to help by applying water to their injuries.

Horrifying footage also showed the suspect, a middle-aged man, holding bottles of what appeared to be alcohol for the Molotov cocktails as he shouted at bystanders. 

EMTs rushed to treat people at the scene and move some to hospital in stretchers as flames spread on patches of ground nearby amid burned-out bottles.  

Another video showed what looked like a burn scar across the ground close to the town’s old courthouse. 

Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told a press conference that victims suffered ‘injuries consistent with burns, and other injuries’ and that wounds ranged from ‘minor’ to ‘potentially life-threatening’.

It’s unclear how many people were injured. Police have not yet identified the attacker. 

Horrifying video also showed the suspect, a middle-aged man, holding bottles of what appeared to be alcohol for the Molotov cocktails as he shouted at bystanders

Several people have been injured in a ‘targeted terror attack’ involving Molotov cocktails in Boulder, Colorado 

Shocking video and images from the scene showed several victims laying motionless on the ground beside Israel flags as witnesses rushed to pour water on their wounds

FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted about the incident just after 5.20pm

‘We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado,’ said FBI Director Kash Patel just after 5.20pm. 

‘Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.’

Boulder Police said they were evacuating several blocks of the typically popular pedestrian mall area, saying that there were ‘several victims’ in the attack. 

Chief Redfearn added that the suspect was taken into custody ‘without incident’. 

The suspect, who was wearing sunglasses and jeans with no shirt when he was detained, was also taken to the hospital with ‘minor injuries’. 

Chief Redfearn did not disclose the motivation behind the attack. ‘It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,’ he said. 

Police asked residents to avoid the stretch of Pearl Street between Walnut and Pine as they continue to investigate.  

The event targeted was called Run For Their Lives, a group which meets every Sunday in Boulder to remember the Israeli hostages who are still in Gaza. 

Demonstrators met at 1pm at Pearl Street and 8th Street to walk the length of Pearl Street Mall. 

‘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,’ Run For Their Lives said in a statement. 

More images showed cops arresting a shirtless man at the scene, Pearl Street Mall in Boulder

Several people have been injured in a ‘targeted terror attack’ involving Molotov cocktails in Boulder, Colorado

Police and the FBI said the horror unfolded at Pearl Street Mall on Sunday afternoon

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino called the incident ‘an act of terror and targeted violence’. 

‘All of the necessary assets will be dedicated to this investigation. If you have any investigative tips please contact the FBI. And if you aided or abetted this attack, we will find you. You cannot hide,’ he wrote on X. 

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was ‘closely monitoring’ the situation, adding that ‘hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.’ 

The Boulder attack occurred as law enforcement authorities in the U.S. grapple with a sharp spike in antisemitic violence. 

It comes just over a week after a man was arrested over the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC. He shouted ‘Free Palestine’ while being led away by police.