A man accused of a firebomb attack that killed one person and injured a dozen others during a demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, has pleaded guilty to murder and other charges. Mohamed Sabry Soliman entered the pleas Thursday in Boulder County District Court. He now faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the attack on June 1.
Details of the Attack
Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails at demonstrators at a pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder, a city of 100,000 people northwest of Denver that is home to the University of Colorado. An 82-year-old woman injured in the attack later died. Twelve others were also injured.
Investigators allege Soliman planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.” He yelled “Free Palestine!” while throwing the devices.
Legal Proceedings
Soliman initially pleaded not guilty in state court to murder and dozens of attempted murder and assault charges. His attorneys revealed the guilty plea in a Sunday court filing in a related federal case. Soliman has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges. Prosecutors are weighing whether to seek the death penalty in the federal case.
State prosecutors have identified 29 victims in the attack. Thirteen were physically injured. The others were nearby and considered victims because they could have been hurt. A dog was also injured, and Soliman has been charged with animal cruelty.
Background of the Defendant
Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the U.S. illegally. He moved to the U.S. from Kuwait in 2022 with his wife and their five children and worked in a series of low-paying jobs. The couple divorced in April. Soliman had been living with his family in a two-bedroom apartment in Colorado Springs, about 97 miles away, at the time of the attack.
His federal attorneys have said in court filings the attack “was profoundly inconsistent” with Soliman’s prior conduct and “came as a total shock to his family.”
Victims and Community Impact
Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer said the victims included some of her close friends. “It was a horrific attack. Their lives were changed forever,” Winer said by email.
Federal prosecutors allege the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual connection to Israel. Soliman’s federal defense lawyers argue he should not have been charged with hate crimes because he was motivated by opposition to Zionism, the political movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel. An attack motivated by someone’s political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.
Family Deportation Issues
Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their children spent 10 months in immigration detention until a federal judge in Texas ordered their release in April. An immigration appeals court had dismissed their case to stay in the U.S. and issued a deportation order. But U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio allowed their release on the condition that El Gamal and her oldest child, who is 18, wear electronic monitoring. Soliman’s attorneys seek to block the family’s deportation until a judge determines they won’t need to be present for court proceedings in his federal case.
