BOULDER — The man accused of tossing Molotov cocktails into a group of peaceful demonstrators in Boulder was charged Thursday in state court with 118 counts, including attempted murder.
Mohamed Soliman, 45, could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted. He appeared in court at the Boulder County jail on Thursday afternoon where he was advised of the charges against him. Soliman is being held in lieu of a $10 million bond.
The 118 charges included 28 counts of attempted first-degree murder and nine counts of first-degree assault, court documents show. Victims in the attack ranged in age from 25 to 88, three of whom remained in the hospital Thursday.
As with Monday’s initial appearance, there was a heavy security presence around the Boulder County jail. Soliman did not speak Thursday to the judge, only nodding his head to the judge’s questions.
No one sat in the area of the gallery reserved for victims Thursday. In the gallery were three women and a man all wearing keffiyeh, which represents the Palestinian liberation movement, and the women were wearing masks covering their faces.
Fifteen people, including a Holocaust survivor, and a dog were injured in the attack Sunday on a group called Run for Their Lives, which had gathered in downtown Boulder in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Run for Their Lives has been walking peacefully each week on the Pearl Street Mall for nearly two years to raise awareness of the hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Some of the victims Sunday suffered second- and third-degree burns. Authorities, however, have said everyone injured in the attack is expected to survive.
Authorities say Soliman, disguised as a gardener to get close to his intended victims, yelled “free Palestine” as he carried out the attack, which he told investigators he had been planning for a year. He confessed to the crime when questioned by authorities, according to arrest documents, and said he would do it again if given the chance.
Soliman is also facing a federal hate crime charge in the attack. That carries a penalty of life in prison if he’s convicted.
He is due in federal court Friday afternoon.
A federal public defender filed court documents saying Soliman couldn’t pay for legal representation and asking to be assigned to the case. The request was approved.
Soliman told authorities he initially tried to purchase a gun to carry out the attack, even going so far as to learn how to shoot a gun and take a concealed carry course. But his purchase was denied because he is living in the U.S. illegally.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation says his background check was denied as he tried to buy a handgun at Scheels, a sporting goods store, in Colorado Springs in November. CBI says Soliman didn’t appeal.
The Colorado legislature passed a bill requiring background checks for all gun purchases in 2013.
CBI also said Soliman was denied a concealed handgun permit through the CBI and El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in December.
“While the CBI can’t say directly why an individual’s application might be denied, the CBI can acknowledge applications can be denied based on someone’s immigration status,” the agency said in a statement.
The CBI said it notifies federal immigration officials when a background check is denied because of someone’s immigration status.
Before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, Soliman spent 17 years in Kuwait, according to court documents.
Soliman came to the U.S. in August 2022 on a B-2 visa that expired in February 2023, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. B-2 visas are used by people entering the U.S. temporarily for things like vacations or to get medical care. She said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023, but that also expired.
McLaughlin did not answer The Colorado Sun’s question on the status of his asylum petition.
The Trump administration is seeking to deport Soliman’s wife and five children. The family lived near Colorado Springs. A federal judge Thursday blocked the administration from removing them from the U.S. pending further legal proceedings.
Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their children were being held at an immigration detention center in Texas, said Eric Lee, one of the attorneys representing the family.
Soliman told authorities that no one, including his family, knew he was planning an attack, according to court documents. El Gamal said she was “shocked” to learn her husband had been arrested in the attack, according to her lawsuit.
Lee said efforts to deport them should not happen in a democracy.
“The punishment of a 4-year-old child for something their parent allegedly did, who also has a presumption of innocence, is something that should outrage Americans regardless of their citizenship status,” he said.
A hearing in the family’s deportation case is scheduled for June 13.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Boulder firebombing suspect charged with 118 counts, including 28 counts of attempted murder, in state court )
Also on site :