New details have emerged regarding the terrorist attack on Sunday that left eight people hospitalized after a man used Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower to target a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the 45-year-old Egyptian national now charged with terrorism, had been meticulously planning his assault for an entire year. Court documents reveal he deliberately postponed the attack until after his daughter graduated from high school.
On Sunday afternoon, Soliman drove 100 miles from his Colorado Springs home to Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, where the local chapter of Run for Their Lives was conducting their weekly walk to raise awareness about Israeli hostages held by Hamas. He had disguised himself as a gardener to blend in with the crowd, carrying a black container filled with at least 14 unlit Molotov cocktails and a backpack weed sprayer containing gasoline.
“He researched on YouTube how to make Molotov Cocktails, purchased the ingredients to do so, and constructed them,” federal court documents state. Soliman had initially hoped to use firearms for his attack, even taking a concealed carry class, but told investigators he “had to use Molotov cocktails after he was denied the purchase of a gun due to him not being a legal citizen.”
At 1:26 p.m., he began his rampage. Video captured during the attack shows Soliman shirtless, pacing back and forth while holding what appeared to be Molotov cocktails, shouting phrases including “How many children killed” and “end Zionist” before hurling the incendiary devices into the peaceful crowd.
The victims ranged from 52 to 88 years old, including an elderly Holocaust survivor who had fled Europe decades earlier. Four victims were rushed to Boulder Community Hospital while two others were airlifted to a specialized burn unit in Aurora.
Soliman told investigators he “specifically targeted” the Run for Their Lives group after learning about them through an online search. He filled eight glass containers purchased from Target with gasoline, stored them in a black plastic container, and planned his route to Boulder, even stopping at a gas station along the way to fuel up.
Authorities later found his 2015 silver Toyota Prius parked near the attack site, with red material consistent with the Molotov cocktail rags visible inside, along with a red gas container and paperwork containing the words “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID.”
“Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America. 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,” President Donald Trump responded on Truth Social.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, stating: “This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews.”
Appearing in court Monday afternoon via video link from Boulder County Jail, Soliman sat silently in an orange jumpsuit with a bandage wrapped around his head covering both ears. Judge Nancy W. Salomone set his bond at $10 million cash and issued a protection order barring him from contacting any victims. If convicted on all 16 charges, he could face 384 years in state prison plus a potential life sentence.
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