What We Know About the Attack on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall

Editor’s note: This is a developing story. We will update it as new information becomes available.

At least 15 people and one dog were injured Sunday afternoon when a man threw incendiary devices into a crowd of people near the Boulder County Historic Courthouse on Pearl Street. A suspect was charged with a federal hate crime for the ambush.

Members of the group Run for Their Lives, who have been demonstrating in downtown Boulder regularly since the October 7 attack on Israel, were calling for the release of all hostages being held in Gaza around 1:30 p.m. when a man used a “makeshift flamethrower” and threw Molotov cocktails into the gathering. He shouted “Free Palestine” during the attack, according to Mark Michalek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Denver field office.

Bystanders on the Pearl Street Mall pointed out the suspect to police, who swiftly subdued and arrested him. He has been identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who was in the United States from Egypt on an expired tourist visa, the Department of Homeland Security said, having entered the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa. The victims ranged in age from 52 to 88; at least four were taken to Boulder Community Health hospital and two were airlifted to the University of Colorado’s burn unit with severe injuries. The event is being investigated as an act of “ideologically motivated violence,” according to the FBI.

According to court documents from a proceeding held Monday at 1:30 p.m., Soliman, who lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children, said he researched how to make Molotov cocktails on YouTube and specifically targeted Run for Their Lives, which advocates for hostages being held in Gaza. He said he “hated this group and needed to stop them from taking over ‘our land,’ ” court documents say. At the June 1 demonstration, he can be seen in videos shirtless and holding glass bottles, saying “end Zionists” and “how many children killed.”

Soliman faces eight counts of attempted first-degree murder, assault, and possession of incendiary devices at the state level, in addition to federal hate crimes charges.

“My thoughts go out to the people who have been injured by this heinous and targeted act on the Jewish community,” said Governor Jared Polis in a statement. “Boulder is strong. We have overcome tragedies together and will get through this together as a community…. As the Jewish community reels from 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.” The governor reiterated that he is working with local and federal law enforcement.

Watch the most recent press conference, led by Michalek at 2:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, here. Soliman returns to court on June 5 at 3:30 p.m. for filing of charges.

Additional Coverage of the Pearl Street Attack

• Boulder Jewish News: “Sunday Hostage Walk Attacked with Molotov Cocktails”
• Boulder Reporting Lab: “Boulder attack during peaceful walk for Gaza hostages on Pearl Street leaves multiple injured—some critically; suspect in custody”
• CBS News: “Attack at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall in Colorado burns eight people, officials say; suspect in custody”
• CPR News: “Multiple people burned in apparent antisemitic attack on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall”
• Denver7: “Boulder attack that injured 8 pro-Israel demonstrators being investigated as act of terrorism”
• Denver Gazette: “8 injured in attack at Boulder’s Pearl Street, FBI investigating as act of terrorism”
• Denver Post: “8 people set on fire in ‘targeted act of violence’ on Boulder’s Pearl Street”
• Fox31: “At least 6 injured in Pearl Street Mall attack; Law enforcement ID suspect”