Boulder County District Attorney Charges Mohamed Sabry Soliman with Over 100 Counts in Pearl Street Mall Terror Attack
Boulder County’s district attorney on Thursday formally charged the suspect in the Pearl Street Mall terror attack with more than 100 counts related to the antisemitic firebombing that injured 15 people and a dog.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian immigrant who officials say was living in the U.S. illegally after overstaying a tourist visa, faces 118 charges, including attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault.
Sixty-two of the charges concern offenses against victims, including 28 attempted first-degree murder charges. Two attempted murder counts applied to each of the 14 victims. Prosecutors levied a third-degree assault charge for the 15th injured person.
The remaining 56 counts relate to violent crimes that could cause serious bodily injury or death.
Soliman also faces a federal hate crime count in connection with the attack.
Soliman, who is being held on $10 million bail, is accused of shouting “Free Palestine” and using a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to burn people gathered on the popular pedestrian mall for a weekly demonstration urging the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Federal immigration authorities on Tuesday detained Soliman’s wife and five children and attempted to place them in expedited removal proceedings. A federal judge in Denver issued an order Wednesday temporarily halting their deportation.
All 15 victims are expected to survive, Boulder officials have said. They range in age from 25 to 88, and include eight women and seven men.
Three people remained in the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital’s burn unit on Thursday, a spokesperson said.
The attack has rattled Colorado’s Jewish community, prompting increased security at synagogues, community centers, and other gatherings. The Boulder Jewish Festival is set to take place Sunday on the Pearl Street Mall, and authorities said there will be heavy security at the event.
“We want people to feel safe and at ease,” Boulder police Chief Stephen Redfearn said during a news conference Thursday.
Soliman planned the attack for over a year and initially sought to carry out a mass shooting against the group, law enforcement officials said. He switched to Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower after he could not buy a gun because of his immigration status.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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