Suspect in Boulder Molotov attack faces federal hate crime charge
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Law enforcement officials are on the scene to investigate after a man set people on fire during a June 1 demonstration in Colorado. Photo: Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
A man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators advocating for Hamas to release its hostages has been charged with a federal hate crime, as the number of injured rose to 12, Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Monday.
The big picture: No victims died as of Monday afternoon following the Sunday attack in Boulder, Colorado, which is being investigated as terrorism, local police said. Multiple people were left with burns and at least two remain in the hospital, according to local authorities.
- Federal hate crime charges carry a sentence of up to 10 years. But when the offense includes attempted murder — as in this case — the statutory maximum jumps to life in prison, acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado said at Monday afternoon briefing.
- The suspect faces numerous charges including 16 counts of attempted murder in the first degree, Dougherty said. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be 384 years in state prison.
- A judge has set a $10 million cash-only bond.
Driving the news: The suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled "Free Palestine!" as he threw the Molotov cocktails, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.
- During an interview after his arrest, Soliman allegedly told law enforcement that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until his daughter graduated.
- Soliman allegedly told authorities he tried to buy a gun to carry out the attack but could not because he was not a legal citizen, Grewell said.
- The suspect also allegedly stated he had "no regrets" and would conduct another attack if given the opportunity, according to Grewell and the affidavit.
What they're saying: "We will never tolerate this kind of hatred," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the hate crime charge. "We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe."
- Soliman was charged with a hate crime "involving actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin."
State of play: In a Monday statement, President Trump said the attack "will not be tolerated."
- "My heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and the Great People of Boulder, Colorado!" he wrote on Truth Social.
He also blamed former President Biden for Soliman's presence in the country.
- "He came in through Biden's ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly. He must go out under 'TRUMP' Policy," Trump wrote.
- "Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland."
Context: Soliman entered the U.S. in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, per Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.
- He filed for asylum in September 2022.
- Soliman was a contractor for Uber, the company confirmed in a statement to Axios. Uber said it banned Soliman's driver's account after the attack and has been in communication with law enforcement.
- He met Uber's requirements under Colorado law and "had no concerning feedback" as a driver using the platform, the company added.
- Law enforcement officials said Monday that Soliman wasn't on their radar before Sunday's attack and had no prior contact with him.
Zoom in: Run for Their Lives organized the walk in support of the hostages as "a peaceful walk to show solidarity with the hostages and their families, and a plea for their release."
- The suspect threw a "makeshift flamethrower" into the crowd.
Go deeper: What to know about attack at Boulder rally for Israeli hostages
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say the demonstrators were advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas (not that they were pro-Israel).
