A 45-year-old man wielding a makeshift flamethrower shouted “Free Palestine” before hurling an incendiary device at a pro-Israel gathering in downtown Boulder on Sunday, injuring eight people aged 52 to 88 with burns, authorities said. The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, according to AP.
The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was arrested at the scene and booked into Boulder County Jail. He sustained injuries during the incident and was hospitalised before being taken into custody. Online records did not immediately indicate his court appearance schedule.
The attack occurred at Boulder’s popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall as members of “Run For Their Lives” – a volunteer group advocating for Israeli hostages in Gaza – concluded their weekly demonstration. Witness video shows chaotic scenes of victims dousing flames with water as police apprehended the shirtless suspect, who was seen removing what appeared to be a bulletproof vest.
“This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in statement on Monday, offering prayers for the victims’ recovery.
The violence coincided with Shavuot, a Jewish holiday, and follows last week’s fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by another assailant who shouted “Free Palestine.”
New York Police Department has increased security at religious sites for Shavuot amid rising tensions from Israel’s war on Gaza, which began with Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed over 1,100 Israelis and saw 250 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed over 54,000 in Gaza.
Witnesses described seeing “a rope of fire” and “two big flares” during the chaotic attack that prompted mass evacuations.
This marks Boulder’s second major violent incident in four years, following a 2021 supermarket shooting that left 10 dead. Authorities confirmed Soliman acted alone, and no additional suspects are being sought.