Colorado Terror: 8 Jews Firebombed During Peaceful Hostage March

A peaceful march in support of Israeli hostages was violently disrupted yesterday (Sunday) when a suspect attacked participants with a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado. Eight people were injured in what the FBI has classified as a "targeted act of terrorism," prompting widespread condemnation and heightened security concerns.

Details of the Attack

The incident occurred at 1:26 p.m. during a weekly "Run for Their Lives" walk organized to raise awareness for Israeli hostages held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attack. Approximately 30 participants were gathered outside the historic Boulder County Courthouse at 13th Street and Pearl Street when the suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, launched the attack. Witnesses reported Soliman yelling "Free Palestine" and "End Zionist!" while hurling incendiary devices, leaving a burn scar in front of the courthouse.

Eight victims, four women and four men aged 52 to 88, sustained injuries, with one in critical condition. Among the victims was an 88-year-old Holocaust refugee described by Rabbi Israel Wilhelm of Chabad at the University of Colorado Boulder as a "very loving person," and a CU professor. UCHealth confirmed two victims were airlifted to its burn unit, while four others were treated at Boulder Community Health, with all either transferred or discharged by Sunday night.

According to CTV News, after the initial attack, the suspect went behind some bushes and then reemerged and threw a Molotov cocktail but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance.

Law enforcement found more than a dozen unlit Molotov cocktails near where Soliman was arrested. They were were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the them according to the FBI. Inside his car, law enforcement found papers with the words “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID.”

Ed Victor, a participant, recounted the chaos: "All of a sudden, I felt the heat. It was a Molotov cocktail equivalent, a gas bomb in a glass jar, thrown. I saw someone on fire." Volunteers and a marcher with medical experience rushed to assist, using water to extinguish flames, while street performer Peter Irish described the aftermath as "traumatic" and "chaotic."

Suspect and Investigation

Soliman, an Egyptian national who arrived in California in 2022 on a non-immigrant visa, had been living in Colorado Springs. His visa expired in February 2023, and he had applied for asylum. The FBI, led by Special Agent in Charge Mike Michalek, confirmed Soliman’s arrest and described the attack as a targeted act of terrorism. He faces multiple felony charges and a federal hate crimes charge.

Soliman, 45, told police he planned the attack for a year and specifically targeted what he described as the “Zionist group,” according to the Associated Press.

Soliman told investigators that he constructed homemade Molotov cocktails after doing research on YouTube and buying the ingredients. He drove to Boulder with the devices in his car and stopped along the way for gas. He said that he waited until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack.

He knew that they would be assembled on Sunday afternoon.

The FBI conducted "court-authorized law enforcement activity" in El Paso County, where a vehicle of interest linked to Soliman was found within the evacuated three-block radius of Pearl Street. The evacuation was lifted after nightfall. FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino labeled the incident a terrorist attack, with agents deployed to the scene by 3:30 p.m.

Official and Community Response

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, stating the victims were targeted "simply because they were Jews" and expressing confidence in U.S. authorities to prosecute Soliman "to the fullest extent of the law."

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who is Jewish, called the attack a "heinous and targeted act on the Jewish community," noting its timing on the eve of Shavuot and following recent antisemitic murders in Washington, D.C. on May 25, 2025. "Hate is unacceptable in our Colorado for all, and I condemn this act of terror," Polis said.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that the National Counterterrorism Center is collaborating with the FBI and local law enforcement to investigate. Boulder’s Jewish community issued a joint statement expressing heartbreak and gratitude to first responders, emphasizing, "Safety is our highest priority." University of Colorado system President Todd Saliman and Attorney General Phil Weiser denounced the attack, with Weiser offering support to victims and labeling it a likely hate crime.

Omer Shachar, co-leader of Run for Their Lives Denver, revealed the group had raised security concerns with Boulder police prior to the event, though no response from police was provided. The organization clarified that the walk was "not a protest" but a peaceful show of solidarity with hostages and their families.

Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Denver field office, which encompasses Boulder, pointed out, “Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country.”