Boulder, CO — The FBI has launched an investigation into what it describes as a “targeted terror attack” during a pro-Israel demonstration outside the Boulder County Courthouse on Sunday afternoon.
According to Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn, officers began receiving emergency calls just before 1:30 p.m. reporting a man wielding a weapon and setting individuals on fire. Responding quickly, police found six victims, aged between 67 and 88, suffering from burn injuries. Two of the victims were airlifted to a Denver hospital with severe burns.
Witnesses identified the suspect as 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, who allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. Soliman was apprehended at the scene and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
“This act is unacceptable,” Chief Redfearn said during a Sunday afternoon press conference. Authorities confirmed that the victims were participating in a peaceful demonstration when the attack occurred.
The FBI reported that witnesses heard Soliman shout “Free Palestine” as the attack unfolded.
In response to the incident, leaders of Boulder’s Jewish community issued a joint statement expressing their sorrow and concern. “We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that an incendiary device was thrown at walkers at the Run for Their Lives walk on Pearl Street as they were raising awareness for the hostages still held in Gaza,” the statement read.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser condemned the violence, calling it a likely hate crime. “People may have differing views about world events and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but violence is never the answer to settling differences,” Weiser said. “Hate has no place in Colorado. We all have the right to peaceably assemble and the freedom to speak our views. But these violent acts—which are becoming more frequent, brazen, and closer to home—must stop and those who commit these horrific acts must be fully held to account.”
The investigation is ongoing, with federal and local authorities working together to determine additional details and motives behind the attack.
