Suspect Charged in Boulder Terror Incident
A man accused of a targeted attack against supporters of Israel in Boulder, Colorado is now facing multiple serious charges, including 16 counts of attempted murder, two counts related to the use of incendiary devices, and an additional 16 counts for attempting to use these devices.
Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty revealed the charges and mentioned that, if found guilty, the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, could potentially spend over 600 years in state prison.
The New York Post reported that the 45-year-old Egyptian national showed support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group, on social media. The FBI also confirmed that Soliman had overstayed his visa, making his presence in the U.S. illegal.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Colorado, J. Bishop Grewell, noted that Soliman has also been charged with a hate crime. He explained that the suspect tried to buy a firearm to use in the attack but couldn’t, leading him to opt for petrol bombs instead.
“No one should ever be subjected to violence of any kind, but our laws recognize that such violence is particularly pernicious when someone is targeted because of their race, religion, or country of origin,” said Grewell. “He had no regrets and stated he would do it again.”
Details from the arrest warrant indicated that Soliman had considered sacrificing himself during the attack, although he ultimately survived. He expressed in police interviews a desire to die, saying he felt compelled to act and would regret not doing so.
“Soliman mentioned several times he wanted to be dead” during questioning by authorities, according to the warrant.
He revealed intentions to throw more petrol bombs but admitted he got scared and had never harmed anyone before.
The 45-year-old is accused of carrying out a hate crime against a group of Israeli hostages’ supporters who were participating in a walk advocating for Hamas to release the remaining hostages. Soliman is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday for formal charges to be made.
