The man was charged with federal hate crimes with allegedly using a "temporary flamethrower" and burned several victims' Molotov cocktails on Sunday at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado.
Agent Mark Michalek of the Denver Field Office, the suspect identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is accused of throwing a "burning device" into a crowd gathered in a popular outdoor shopping mall. The FBI called the incident a "act of terrorism."
Soliman was charged Monday with multiple felony accounts, including attempted murder and federal hate crime charges, CBS News reported.
Officials confirmed to the media that Soriman was Egyptian. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he arrived in the United States on a non-immigrant visa in 2022, which expired in February 2023. He then applied for asylum.
According to the federal criminal lawsuit, Soriman told investigators that he had planned for a year to find out how to make Molotov online cocktails. According to complaints, there is a container that holds at least 14 Molotov cocktails, and a "backpack sprayer that may contain flammable substances" that the weed is found near the container.
"Soliman said he hated Zionist groups and did so because he hated the group and needed to stop them from taking over 'our land', which he explained was Palestine," the complaint said. "He said he had planned an attack for a year and waited until after his daughter graduated to carry out the attack."
The suspect recently resides in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, which the FBI said was “a law enforcement activity related to the attack on the Pearl Street Mall of Boulder in a court-authorized law enforcement activity.”
According to its website, a group of walkers participating in their living activities participated in their living activities, “calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas.” Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn described it as a "peaceful demonstration." Mihalek said at a press conference on Sunday night that the suspect was screaming "Free Palestine".
In a statement on Instagram, their lives noted that their walks were “taken every week” and there was no “any violence until today.” The group added that “the hostage plight is an international humanitarian crisis” and called on world leaders to do their best to ensure that each of the 58 hostages returns home quickly”.
Authorities said at least eight victims were injured in the attack, ranging in age from 52 to 88, including four women and four men. Redfearn said Sunday that at least one person was seriously injured and could be in critical condition.
The incident happened around 1:26 p.m. Sunday, when Boulder's dispatch received several calls reporting that "there was a weapon and people were set on fire," Redfield said in an afternoon press conference on Sunday afternoon. He said when police arrived at the scene there were “multiple victims”, “injuries consistent with burns” and other injuries, from childhood to very serious.
“The Department of Justice has promptly charged illegal foreign perpetrators with federal hate crimes and will be held responsible to the maximum extent of the law. Our prayers are related to the victims and our Jewish community.”
Two Israeli embassy staff killed more than a week outside the capital Jewish museum.