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A man armed with a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails attacked a weekly Jewish community gathering in Boulder, Colorado yesterday, injuring six people aged between 67 and 88. The assault targeted participants of 'Run for Their Lives', a global campaign that organises walks calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The group had assembled near the Boulder County Courthouse on Pearl Street yesterday afternoon.

 

Witnesses said the assailant had been waiting outside the courthouse with bottles of a clear liquid. As the walkers began their event, he ignited and threw the bottles into the crowd. Several people were engulfed in flames. One woman dropped to the ground and rolled to extinguish the fire on her clothes. Onlookers described scenes of panic, scorched clothing, and victims with visible burns. An eyewitness said she saw people dazed and half-dressed, with burnt clothing lying on the pavement.

 

Four of the injured were taken to a hospital in Boulder, while two others in more serious condition were flown to a burn centre in Denver. Police said injuries ranged from minor to life-threatening.

 

Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn confirmed the suspect was detained shortly after the attack, thanks to eyewitnesses who pointed him out. The man was later identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national living in Colorado Springs.

 

According to Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources, Soliman arrived in the United States in August 2022 on a non-immigrant visa. He was authorised to remain until February 2023 but did not leave. On September 9, 2022, he filed a claim with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and was later granted work authorisation valid until March 2025.

 

Authorities said Soliman had no significant criminal history. Two senior officials said he appears to have acted alone and is not linked to any known extremist group. While he shouted “Free Palestine” during the assault, an initial review of his social media activity did not reveal any specific ideology or threats related to the incident. Investigators are examining reports that he may have dressed as a landscape worker to avoid drawing attention prior to the attack.

 

Police and FBI agents later cordoned off a residential area in Colorado Springs believed to be connected to Soliman. Boulder’s district attorney, Michael Dougherty, said prosecutors were working with federal officials to determine appropriate charges and jurisdictions. FBI Special Agent Mark Michalek stated there was no immediate indication that Soliman belonged to a broader terrorist network.

 

Chief Redfearn said the physical injuries sustained by the victims aligned with initial emergency calls reporting a man setting people on fire. The FBI has opened a terrorism investigation. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser described the act as a hate crime, given the group targeted. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the department was working with interagency partners, including the FBI. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed that the National Counterterrorism Center is actively involved in the probe.

 

The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents against Jewish individuals in the United States. Less than two weeks ago, two Israeli embassy aides were shot and killed in Washington, DC by a man who also reportedly shouted “Free Palestine.” Another recent attack involved an arsonist setting fire to the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish.

 

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, called for an end to what he described as the public’s tolerance of antisemitic rhetoric. He noted the attack in Boulder was the second violent incident in a fortnight targeting Jews gathered peacefully.

 

The White House was quick to link the attack to illegal immigration to the United States. President Donald Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posted on X that the attack was committed by an illegal alien. “He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa,” wrote Miller. “In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed.”

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