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Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, allegedly hurled two Molotov cocktails at protesters who had come together demanding the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. He has been charged with federal hate crimes, as well as with multiple counts of attempted murder. Soliman told authorities he had plotted the attack, and the assault took place on Sunday on Boulder’s crowded Pearl Street Mall, Pruitt said. He is being held on $10 million bail, police said, and is expected in court on Thursday.
Victims relive horror, suspect’s family held captive
One of the survivors, Rachelle Halpern, recounted the horrifying moment she noticed that flames had reached her feet and saw a woman standing next to her consumed by flames. Another victim, who wished to remain unnamed, also revealed how fast the attack was and how unbelievable it was to watch it happening before her eyes.
The number of wounded climbed to 15, including eight women and seven men whose ages ranged from 25 to 88, in addition to a dog. Soliman was carrying 18 Molotov cocktails and intended to kill all 20 people attending the gathering, police said, but he only managed to use two.
Court records showed that while Soliman was attacking his co-worker, he shouted “Free Palestine” before punching him in the face, and that he wanted to kill “all Zionist people” and “kill all the Jews”; the motivation was an incident earlier this month in Sherman Oaks peace rally that the perpetrator joined, where he summoned “all Palestinians” in attendance to take a photo with him. He displayed no trace of remorse during questioning.
Soliman’s wife and five children, all Egyptian citizens, were escorted by the immigration authorities. A federal judge ordered their deportation frozen while their legal status is reviewed. Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their children are not charged with any crime. She told officers that she was unaware of her husband’s plans and was “shocked” when he was arrested.
The broader Settings and immigration status
Soliman had been in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to the U.S. in August 2022 on a tourist visa that was set to expire February 2023. He applied for asylum in September 2022 and was given a work permit, which has lapsed. His wife, who works as a network engineer, is waiting for an EB-2 visa. She and the children are named as dependents in Soliman’s asylum case.
The detention of the family has fueled debate, with their lawyers claiming it is illegal to punish relatives for the behavior of others. Officials say the family is in the country illegally.
That attack came during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and as tensions rise in the Israel-Hamas war. Only a few days before, another act of violence in Washington had killed two employees of the Israeli Embassy, who had reportedly been attacked by a man who shouted the same slogan.
Soliman allegedly told investigators that he had been plotting the Boulder attack for a year. His lawyer has not made him available to comment on the case in public.
