Eight Israel supporters were injured on Sunday when a man shouting pro-Palestine slogans set people on fire during a demonstration in the U.S. state of Colorado held to raise awareness on hostages being held in Gaza.
“After receiving updated information, law enforcement officials have now identified eight victims: four women and four men aged 52 to 88 were taken to Denver metro hospitals,” The Boulder Police Department said.
“This attack happened at a regularly scheduled, weekly peaceful event. Witnesses are reporting that the subject used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. The suspect was heard to yell ‘Free Palestine’ during the attack,” FBI special agent Mark Michalek told reporters.
Michalek said the suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman.
The suspect is reported to have shouted “Free Palestine” during the incident, as well as “How many children have you killed?” and “End Zionists… they are terrorists!”
“It is clear that this is a targeted act of violence, and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,” Michalek said, adding there is no evidence at this time suggesting the suspect was connected to a wider group.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, citing three sources at the Department of Homeland Security, said Soliman is an Egyptian national living in the U.S. illegally with a visa overstay. He entered the country during the Biden administration.
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“At this point, we do not believe that there is an additional suspect at large,” said Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn.
According to Redfearn, one of the victims was “very seriously injured” in the attack.
Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said: “That is my promise — to hold the attacker fully accountable.”
Earlier, Redfearn said the suspect “was taken into custody without incident” and was transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
Asked earlier whether local police also consider it a terror attack, Redfearn said: “I’ve been in contact with our local FBI multiple times. We are in communication with them here. We are not calling it a terror attack at this point. It’s way too early to speculate on the motive.”
But FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that federal authorities are treating the incident as a “targeted terror attack.”
“We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado,” Patel wrote. “Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed the investigation is being pursued as an act of terror and targeted violence.
