Colorado firebombing: How suspect, who lived illegally in US, planned anti-Semitic attack for a year

A 45-year-old Egyptian national, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is facing a range of state and federal charges, including attempted murder and a federal hate crime, after allegedly attacking a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, with Molotov cocktails.

The assault, which injured twelve individuals, took place on Sunday at the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian area near the University of Colorado.

Authorities say Soliman planned the assault for over a year, choosing homemade incendiary devices over firearms due to restrictions related to his immigration status.

How the Colorado terror attack played out

According to federal and local affidavits, Soliman appeared at the site of the weekly demonstration disguised as a gardener, wearing an orange vest to blend into the surroundings.

The gathering was organised by Run For Their Lives, a volunteer group committed to advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

At the end of the event, he hurled two lit Molotov cocktails into the crowd of approximately 20 people, shouting “Free Palestine” as the firebombs ignited. Several bystanders, including elderly individuals, sustained burns and other injuries.

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Witnesses described a chaotic scene. Alex Osante, who was across the mall at the time, recounted hearing a bottle shatter followed by a loud “boom,” and then screams. His footage from the scene shows panicked demonstrators pouring water on a woman who had caught fire.

Police bodycam footage and other social media videos show Soliman shirtless and pacing, with apparent burns on one arm, holding what appeared to be more incendiary devices.

Authorities said that although he had brought 18 Molotov cocktails, Soliman ultimately only deployed two. “He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it,” investigators noted in the affidavit.

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However, he reportedly became afraid and did not carry out the full plan, admitting that he had “never hurt anyone before.”

One of the devices appears to have ignited prematurely, causing burn injuries to Soliman himself. He also carried a weed sprayer filled with gasoline in his backpack but said he sprayed it only on himself, believing he would die during the act.

Law enforcement officials later recovered 16 unused Molotov cocktails near the site of the arrest. The devices were described as glass bottles and wine carafes filled with gasoline, with red rags serving as fuses.

A gas canister was also discovered in Soliman’s parked vehicle nearby. Authorities said the materials were assembled based on YouTube tutorials.

How Soliman planned the attack

Court documents reveal that Soliman admitted to planning the attack for over a year. He told investigators that he deliberately waited until after his daughter’s high school graduation to act.

Soliman, who previously took a concealed carry training course, had sought to purchase a firearm, but was denied due to his lack of legal residency in the US.

“He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,” the affidavit states.

He reportedly told officers: “He wanted them all to die, he had no regrets and he would go back and do it again,” according to Acting US Attorney J Bishop Grewell during a press conference.

The victims, who ranged in age from 52 to 88, included a woman who was a Holocaust survivor, according to Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, Chabad director at the University of Colorado.

Six victims were initially hospitalised, with four later released. Several more came forward the next day with less severe injuries, raising the total injured to twelve.

How Soliman entered the US

Soliman entered the United States in August 2022 on a B2 tourist visa, and shortly after filed for asylum in September 2022, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

He received a work permit in March 2023, but it had since expired. Federal authorities confirmed that he overstayed his visa and had been living in the US illegally.

Soliman was born in Egypt and had previously lived in Kuwait for 17 years before relocating to Colorado Springs, where he lived with his wife and five children.

Neighbours offered mixed accounts of Soliman’s behaviour. Shameka Pruiett, a local resident, described the family as “kindly neighbours” whose children played with hers.

Another neighbour, Kierra Johnson, recalled frequent nighttime shouting from their apartment and once called the police due to the noise.

What next for Soliman

Soliman is currently being held at Boulder County Jail and appeared briefly in state court via video on Monday, wearing an orange jumpsuit. Prosecutors stated that he is being detained on a $10 million cash-only bond.

His public defender, Kathryn Herold, declined to make a statement and said arguments regarding bond conditions would be presented at a later date. Another court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Federal prosecutors are pursuing hate crime charges, while state authorities have filed multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons violations.

If convicted of the federal hate crime alone, Soliman faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The state charges carry a potential penalty of up to 384 years, according to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty.

Authorities have not found any evidence indicating that Soliman was working with others. “He was believed to have acted alone,” officials stated during a joint press conference. Law enforcement had no prior knowledge or records suggesting Soliman posed a threat before Sunday’s assault.

The attack took place against the broader backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents in the US, amid heightened global tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.

It also occurred at the start of Shavuot, a significant Jewish holiday. Just days earlier, two Israeli Embassy staffers were fatally shot outside a Jewish museum in Washington by another man reportedly shouting “Free Palestine.”

What the national response has been

The incident prompted swift political reactions. US Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the act as an “antisemitic terror attack,” while federal officials underscored concerns about immigration enforcement failures.

“In light of yesterday’s horrific attack, all terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathisers here on a visa should know that under the Trump administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X.

US President Donald Trump, who has prioritised stricter immigration controls during his second term, weighed in on social media, stating, “Yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland.”

Todd Lyons, Acting Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), commented at a press conference that Soliman represents “millions of individuals like this that we are attempting to locate from the past administration that weren’t properly screened that were allowed in.”

Under the Biden administration, ICE had largely prioritised detaining serious criminals and took humanitarian considerations into account. The current administration has reversed those policies to focus on broader enforcement, especially involving visa overstays and asylum fraud.

The Boulder community, still recovering from a 2021 supermarket shooting that killed ten people, was again left reeling.

Law enforcement has increased patrols and security at community centres and places of worship across Boulder in the wake of the attack. Organisers of Run For Their Lives affirmed they would continue their weekly vigils despite the violence.

With inputs from agencies