Boulder Rally Attack: Suspect Set to Plead Guilty

Mohamed Sabri Soliman, accused of detonating explosives during a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, in June 2025, is expected to plead guilty to murder and several other state charges, as per court documents reviewed by the Associated Press.

The incident unfolded on June 1, 2025, during a demonstration supporting Israel, resulting in the death of 82-year-old Karen Diamond and injuring around a dozen others.

According to prosecutors, Soliman disguised himself as a gardener in order to blend in and then threw two explosives towards the protesters.

The defendant, an undocumented immigrant from Egypt, had initially claimed he was innocent. However, investigators believe he had been plotting the attack for a year, driven by a sinister motivation to “kill all Zionists.”

In addition to facing federal hate crime charges, he has amassed numerous state charges as well. Reports suggest that prosecutors are contemplating the death penalty for Soliman’s hate crime case. His legal team claims he has offered to accept a guilty plea for state charges in exchange for a life sentence.

Documents indicate that Soliman aimed to kill 20 people at a rally advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas after their October 7 attack.

Interestingly, his lawyers argue that Soliman’s targets were associated with the Zionist political movement rather than a religious or ethnic group. This assertion could impact the categorization of his actions as hate crimes, although he still faces more than a dozen such charges.

Previously, it was reported that Soliman had initially considered using a gun to shoot at the protesters. However, being denied a firearm due to his immigration status, he shifted to using Molotov cocktails.

The trial is set to begin Thursday, and Soliman is expected to formally plead guilty.

Attempts to reach Soliman’s public defender for comment were unsuccessful, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado opted not to comment on the ongoing case.