What to Know About the Attack at the Jewish Rally in Boulder, Colorado

Police say the perpetrator set eight people ablaze with a ’makeshift flamethrower' and an incendiary device.
What to Know About the Attack at the Jewish Rally in Boulder, Colorado
An FBI team investigates an attack on demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, at the scene on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colo., on June 1, 2025. Eli Imadali/AFP via Getty Images
Janice Hisle
Janice Hisle
Reporter
|Updated:
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The latest in a string of anti-Semitic attacks hit Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, just before the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

Police say witnesses told investigators that the attacker yelled, “Free Palestine.”

The suspect told investigators that he had planned the attack for more than a year, according to the FBI.

The attack occurred about a week after a previous incident in which a man also yelled “Free Palestine” after shooting and killing two Israeli Embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington.

“Terrorists have infiltrated American businesses, government, and brain-addled liberal American colleges and universities,“ Jason Meister, an American Jew who has served as a Jewish adviser to President Donald Trump, told The Epoch Times. ”They hate Jews, whites, and want them burned alive.

“We’re at war from within.”

Meister called for continued strict immigration enforcement.

What Happened?

Witnesses called police in Boulder, Colorado, to report that a man was attacking people at the popular outdoor Pearl Street Mall just before 1:30 p.m. local time on June 1.
The attacker “threw an incendiary device” and used a “makeshift flamethrower” to set fire to people who were attending “a regularly scheduled, weekly peaceful event,” police said in a statement.

The gathering had been held to support Jewish people who continue to be held hostage during the Israel–Hamas war, which has been ongoing for more than 600 days.

A group called Run for Their Lives has been organizing these events each week since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Within six minutes of the original report, officers arrested a suspect, whom witnesses said they heard yelling “Free Palestine” during the violence, according to the police statement.

The FBI has labeled the incident as a terror attack and is assisting Boulder police with the investigation.

“We stand in full solidarity with those targeted. And we will continue to ensure that justice is pursued swiftly, support is provided to victims and their communities, and preventative action is taken to protect everyone’s safety,” FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Anyone with digital media—videos, social media posts, or digital recordings—is asked to upload it at fbi.gov/boulderattack.

Who Was Hurt?

Emergency crews took four men and four women, ages 52 to 88, to Denver-area hospitals for treatment; at least one suffered critical injuries.

Police have not released the identities of the victims. But Leo Terrell, an attorney who works in the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said that one of the victims was a Holocaust survivor.

“She endured the worst evil in human history. She came to America seeking safety. And now, decades later, she’s victimized again by a terrorist screaming ‘Free Palestine,” Terrell wrote on social media platform X.
None of the victims had died, Boulder police said in a social media post on the morning of June 2.
Police said they would release additional details as soon as they are available.

Who Was Arrested?

Police identified the suspect as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, Colorado.

However, a federal court record gave an alternative spelling of his first name, “Mohammed.”

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, Colo., was charged with an attack in Boulder, Colo., on June 1, 2025. (Courtesy of Boulder Police Department)
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, Colo., was charged with an attack in Boulder, Colo., on June 1, 2025. Courtesy of Boulder Police Department
Soliman is an illegal immigrant, according to Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security adviser. Soliman had overstayed his visa and then obtained a work permit during the Biden administration, Miller wrote in a social media post.
Soliman entered the United States in August 2022 and filed for asylum the next month, but his visa expired in February 2023,Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Homeland Security wrote in a social media post.

After being medically evaluated, Soliman was booked in the Boulder County Jail on multiple charges, including felony use of incendiary devices, police said.

Federal authorities also charged him with hate crimes.

His initial bond was set at $10 million; he is set for a court appearance in Boulder in the afternoon of June 2.

Soliman’s mugshot shows him with a large white bandage on the right side of his head, and his face appears to be marred with soot.

Police emphasized that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Reactions

Trump reacted to the violence, saying his thoughts were with the victims of the attack.
“Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on June 2.

“Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is Jewish, released a statement within hours of the attack.

“As the Jewish community reels from the recent antisemitic murders in Washington, D.C., it is unfathomable that the community is facing another antisemitic attack here in Boulder on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot,” Polis wrote.

“Several individuals were brutally attacked while peacefully drawing attention to the plight of hostages who have been held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 604 days. Hate is unacceptable in our Colorado for all, and I condemn this act of terror. The suspect should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his wife were praying for the victims. In a social media post, Netanyahu condemned the violence and said, “This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews.”

Netanyahu said he trusted U.S. authorities to take appropriate action against the perpetrator and to work “to prevent future attacks against innocent civilians.”

“The antisemitic attacks around the world are a direct result of blood libels against the Jewish state and people, and this must be stopped,” the prime minister said.

FBI Details Allegations

According to the FBI, investigators found more than a dozen unused Molotov cocktails near the spot where police arrested Soliman. The devices were made of glass wine carafes or jars and contained clear liquid with red rags hanging out of them, the FBI said.

Investigators said the liquid was gasoline.

Police also found paperwork in Soliman’s car with the words “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID,” an FBI affidavit stated.

When Soliman spoke to investigators, according to the affidavit, “he stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack.”

He told police that he lives in Colorado Springs, about two hours from Boulder, with his wife and five children. He also said that he left an iPhone hidden in a desk drawer at his house, “with messages to his family,” along with a journal, the FBI affidavit stated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Janice Hisle
Janice Hisle
Reporter
Janice Hisle mainly writes in-depth reports based on U.S. political news and cultural trends, following a two-year stint covering President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection campaign. Before joining The Epoch Times in 2022, she worked more than two decades as a reporter for newspapers in Ohio and authored several books. She is a graduate of Kent State University's journalism program. You can reach Janice at: janice.hisle@epochtimes.us
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