BOULDER, Colo. — Authorities have charged a suspect with multiple offenses after allegedly committing an “act of terrorism” at a pedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the suspect used what police described as a “makeshift flamethrower” against a group of pro-Israel demonstrators.
The Boulder Police Department reported that eight individuals sustained burn injuries and were hospitalized following the event. The victims, whose ages range from 52 to 88, were all transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
One victim was in critical condition, police said.
According to FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek, the suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was reportedly shouting “Free Palestine” while operating the “makeshift flamethrower” and hurling an incendiary device into the crowd.
Soliman was taken into custody without incident and transferred to a hospital where he was examined, police said.
Soliman is being held on $10,000,000 bond, according to the Boulder County Jail, which listed a range of felony charges against him, including use of an incendiary device.
FBI Director Kash Patel said officials were investigating the incident as a “targeted terror attack.” The FBI believes the attack was “ideologically motivated violence,” according to “early information, the evidence and witness accounts,” Deputy Director Dan Bongino added.
The attack in Boulder comes at a time of heightened violence, including high-profile incidents against the Jewish community.
The pro-Israel demonstration was a Run for Their Lives walk, aiming to raise awareness about the remaining hostages in Gaza. The organization hosts global run and walk events, “calling for the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas,” according to its website.
Leo Terrell, head of the antisemitism task force at the Justice Department, said that an “incendiary device” was thrown at participants in the walk.
“This was not an isolated incident,” Terrell continued. “This antisemitic terrorist attack is part of a horrific and escalating wave of violence targeting Jews and their supporters simply for being Jewish or standing up for Jewish lives,” he said.
The attack happened on the eve of a Jewish holiday, Shavuot, “making it all the more chilling and cruel,” Terrell said.
A spokesperson for the organization, Miri Kornfeld, said in a statement to ABC News said a man who was leading the walk described the scene as “the floor burning beneath them.”
All upcoming Run for Their Lives events have been canceled until further notice, Kornfeld said, who was not at the walk in Boulder.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the “targeted terror attack,” a senior White House official told ABC News.
“Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable. While details emerge, the state works with local and federal law enforcement to support this investigation,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wrote on X, describing the incident as a “heinous act of terror.”
Boulder Police, while calling the attack a “tragedy” and “unacceptable,” initially stopped short of calling the incident terrorism and did not want to speculate on the suspect’s move, according to Chief Stephen Redfearn.
The incident occurred just before 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the intersection of 13th Street and Pearl Street.
Police responded to reports of a man with a weapon and that people were being set on fire.
When they arrived, there were multiple victims at the scene with injuries consistent with burns, police said. Police said four of the victims were taken to Boulder Community Hospital and two others were airlifted to a burn unit in Aurora. Apart from the victim with serious injuries, the others were believed to be more minor, Redfearn said.
Last month, two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed in Washington, D.C. in what was labeled as an “act of terror.”
The shooting sparked outrage and has been condemned as an “unspeakable” act of antisemitism after officials said the suspect, who is in custody, shouted “free, free Palestine” following the shooting.
In April, the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, was targeted by an arsonist who allegedly made two Molotov cocktails from Heineken bottles he had at home and threw them inside the governor’s mansion after breaking a window with a hammer, according to court documents.
The attack happened after the governor had posted about celebrating Passover with his family.
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