BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A disturbing incident unfolded in Boulder, Colorado, where Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old man, launched an attack with a makeshift flamethrower while shouting "Free Palestine." The violent event occurred on a Sunday, injuring six individuals, some of whom suffered from burns after he threw an incendiary device into a crowd gathered to draw attention to Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The FBI is treating the attack as a terrorist act, with authorities confirming that they believe Soliman acted alone and that no additional suspects are being pursued. Following the incident, Soliman was taken to a hospital due to injuries he sustained during the attack, though further details regarding his condition were not disclosed.
The chaos erupted at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a popular area that spans four blocks in downtown Boulder, amid heightened global tensions stemming from an ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. This incident followed closely on the heels of another tragic event in which a man shouted "Free Palestine" before fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C.
Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, condemned the attack, stating, "Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country." He emphasized that such acts of violence threaten communities nationwide. The wounded victims, aged between 67 and 88, experienced a range of injuries, from serious to minor.
The violence occurred as members of a volunteer group named Run For Their Lives were concluding their weekly demonstration aimed at raising awareness for the hostages still in Gaza. Eyewitness accounts describe the tense scene, with one witness stating that he saw Soliman throwing Molotov cocktails. Lynn Segal, a participant in the demonstration, recounted her fear of being misidentified as supporting the attacker simply because she was wearing pro-Palestine clothing.
Authorities evacuated multiple blocks of the Pearl Street area as law enforcement swept through the scene with dogs to ensure there were no lingering threats. This latest attack adds a worrying chapter to Boulder’s history of gun violence, coming approximately four years after a grocery store shooting that claimed ten lives. In that incident, the shooter was given a life sentence after a jury rejected his insanity plea.
The FBI has swiftly characterized the Boulder attack as ideologically motivated violence, with FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stating that they would be transparent about the circumstances once the facts are established. The Justice Department has likewise condemned the incident, referring to it as a “needless act of violence” and highlighting the recent uptick in attacks against Jewish Americans.
Since the onset of the war in Gaza, over 54,000 people have died as a result of Israeli military actions, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry. This conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, has led to extensive destruction in Gaza and left a significant portion of the population in dire need of international assistance.
In light of these events, the community in Boulder faces both the immediate aftermath of the attack and the broader implications of growing violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ongoing FBI investigation aims to ensure accountability and to address the factors contributing to such violent outbursts in the current climate.
