DOJ charges Boulder attack suspect with federal hate crime
Matt Simons
(CN) — The Justice Department filed federal charges Monday against the accused perpetrator of a reportedly antisemitic attack at a Boulder, Colorado, event supporting Israeli hostages, which injured 12 attendees.
The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is accused of throwing multiple Molotov cocktails into the crowd while yelling “Free Palestine!” Soliman now faces a federal hate crime charge in addition to state charges for attempted murder in Colorado.
"The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
Federal prosecutors said they moved quickly to file the hate crime charge to send a message to the community, adding that the government may pursue additional charges in the future.
“Just because there's only one charge that has been made so far doesn't mean that we're not considering other charges that could come in the future,” said Bishop Grewell, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado.
At the state level, Soliman is charged with 16 counts of attempted murder in the first degree, two counts of use of an incendiary device and 16 counts of attempted use of an incendiary device.
If convicted, Soliman could face a maximum of 384 years in state prison for attempted murder, as well as an additional 48 years for incendiary device use and 192 years for the attempted use of incendiary devices.
Soliman appeared in court for the first time on Monday before Boulder District Court Judge Nancy Salomone, who set a $10 million cash bond for the suspect.
Soliman spoke to the judge through microphones located in an adjacent room. The suspect was dressed in an orange jumpsuit, separated from the courtroom by a glass pane and supervised by a law enforcement officer.
The state charges against Soliman will be officially filed at his next hearing on June 5.
On June 1, around 1:30 p.m., members of “Run for Their Lives,” an organization that holds weekly running and walking events to raise awareness for the hostages taken during the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, had two Molotov cocktails thrown at them by a man on the Pearl St. Mall near the Boulder courthouse.
Soliman was detained shortly after the attack by local law enforcement with at least 16 unlit Molotov cocktails and a “makeshift flamethrower” fashioned from a backpack weed sprayer, all filled with gasoline.
Although only eight injured were reported initially, law enforcement has identified four more victims who have come forward experiencing minor injuries.
At least two victims were flown to the hospital for their injuries, where they still remain.
In an interview after his arrest, Soliman told law enforcement that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead. Soliman also stated he would do it again, implying he would conduct another attack if given the chance.
The Justice Department says Soliman’s attack appeared to be planned well in advance. Soliman said he specifically targeted the “Zionist group” that had gathered in Boulder after finding them in an online search. He said he also learned how to make the Molotov cocktails used in the attack from YouTube tutorials.
Soliman told law enforcement that he had previously tried to purchase a firearm, but resorted to Molotov cocktails when he couldn’t buy a gun, as he is not a U.S. citizen.
Soliman claims to have planned the attack against the organization for about a year, and stated he was waiting until his daughter graduated to do so. Soliman lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children.
After his interview, he was taken to the hospital to be medically evaluated before being booked in the Boulder County Jail on multiple charges.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the attack as a “targeted act of terrorism” and will be working with the Boulder Police Department to interview witnesses, gather evidence and process the crime scene, according to the agency.
Law enforcement officials said that Soliman had no prior contact with the Boulder City Police Department before the attack.
“He wasn’t on our radar in Boulder,” Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said at a press conference.
Federal law enforcement stressed solidarity in the aftermath of the attack.
"Our strength as a society comes from our shared values, and our commitment to protecting one another. Any attempt to divide us through fear or harm has no place in Boulder, Colorado, or anywhere in our nation," FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said in a statement.
Local law enforcement echoed the statement with their own.
“I urge this community to come together. Now is not the time to be divisive," Redfearn said in a statement.
The police chief and other law enforcement officials were scheduled to meet with members of the Boulder Jewish community on Monday afternoon to discuss the attack.
The high-profile attack has also drawn international attention. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was praying for the “full recovery” of the attack’s wounded.
“This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,” Netanyahu said in a statement on X.