12 victims injured in attack on demonstrators in Boulder; suspect facing 16 counts of attempted murder

BOULDER, Colo. (KKTV) - A man living in El Paso County is facing a multitude of charges following what the FBI is describing as a terror attack on a group of peaceful marchers in Boulder over the weekend.

Mohamed Soliman, 45, remains in the Boulder County jail Tuesday on a $10 million bond and will be making his first court appearance at 1:30 p.m., according to online jail records.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement istration and Boulder Police Department held a press conference Monday afternoon where officials said the number of victims has increased from eight to 12, but they believe the number of victims could increase more as the investigation continues.

Officials said Soliman is now facing 16 charges of attempted murder, two counts of use of an incendiary device and 16 counts of attempted use of an incendiary device. They said 16 unused Molotov cocktails were also found in Soliman’s possession.

Officials said Soliman allegedly previously attempted to purchase a firearm but could not because he was not a legal U.S. citizen.

As of 3 p.m., officials also shared that up to three of those victims were still in the hospital.

An FBI affidavit obtained by 11 News states Soliman told agents he planned the attack for a year, specifically targeting “Zionist groups” and showed no remorse, claiming he would do it again. 11 News is going through the affidavit now and will update this article with additional information from the document.

The horrific attack was reported around 1:30 Sunday afternoon near the popular Pearl Street Mall. According to witnesses and later confirmed by law enforcement, demonstrators walking in solidarity with Israeli hostages were making their way down Pearl Street and approaching the Boulder County courthouse when a man attacked them with a flamethrower and a Molotov cocktail. Boulder police said the initial 911 calls were reporting someone setting people on fire.

“We stood up, lined up in front of the old Boulder courthouse, and I was actually on the far west side. And there was somebody there that I didn’t even notice, although he was making a lot of noise, but I’m just focused on my job of being quiet and getting lined up. And, from my point of view, all of a sudden, I felt the heat. It was a Molotov cocktail equivalent, a gas bomb in a glass jar, thrown. Av [another marcher] saw it, a big flame as high as a tree, and all I saw was someone on fire,” one of the marchers, Ed Victor, told 11 News sister station CBS Denver.

“I saw the aftermath,” a witness told CBS Denver. “It was like minutes after. I came out, it was chaos, people were writhing on the ground. It was traumatic to watch, to be honest with you. It was chaos.”

Boulder police say the suspect was heard yelling “Free Palestine” before the attack. He was arrested near the scene minutes after the attack.

While court records show Soliman is facing murder charges, the Boulder Police Department clarified Monday morning that none of the victims had died. Police and the FBI had said previously that eight people were hurt, four men and four women, ranging in age from 52 to 88, though, as of Monday, that number of victims has increased to 12. While some of the injuries were described as minor, at least two of the victims were reportedly airlifted to hospitals with burn units.

Boulder Police Department confirmed Soliman was a resident of El Paso County. The FBI searched an apartment in Cimarron Hills Sunday night, which neighbors have told 11 News is where the suspect lived in the home with his family. One neighbor said that while her children played with Soliman’s children and the family had brought them meals on occasion, Soliman himself wasn’t home often.

FBI Director Kash Patel called this a “terror attack,” saying FBI agents were on scene alongside local law enforcement. The FBI later confirmed they were investigating the attack as a targeted act of terrorism.

Boulder police initially said they were still working to figure out the motive of the attacker.

“We understand that there are a lot of tensions right now and a lot of issues in the United States and everywhere,” Boulder police said. “Once we have a clear motive, we will react accordingly, and if that motive was a group was targeted, we’ll absolutely step up and ensure that additional security, additional presence. We want people to feel safe not matter what they’re here for.”

Gov. Jared Polis posted about it on social media, as well, responding to the attack.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser called the attack a hate crime, releasing the following statement:

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade also released a statement following the attack:

As officials investigate motive, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller said the suspect in this case was in the country illegally. CBS Denver reports Soliman was an Egyptian national who arrived in California in 2022 and had overstayed his visa.

This is a developing story and we will update this article when we get more information.

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