At least six people were injured after a man allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower in an attack on a pro-IIsrael rally in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday,
Authorities said the incident is being investigated as a potential terror attack and confirmed that the suspect, identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been taken into custody.
READ MORE: Two Israeli embassy staffers shot dead in Washington
The incident occurred in the early afternoon on Pearl Street Mall, a popular shopping and pedestrian area, where members of the volunteer group Run For Their Lives had gathered.
According to Mark Michalek, a special agent with the FBI, Soliman shouted “Free Palestine” before igniting the device. Witnesses and local reports indicated that he may have used Molotov cocktails or a similar incendiary setup, resulting in a burst of flames engulfing multiple victims.
Police confirmed the six victims were aged between 67 and 88 years old, all participants in the rally. Two of the wounded were airlifted to nearby hospitals with serious burn injuries, while the remaining were treated on site or at local facilities.
Eyewitness Brooke Coffman, 19, a University of Colorado student, said she saw at least four women on the ground with burns. “One woman looked burned all over and someone had wrapped her in a flag,” she said.
“Everybody was yelling, ‘Get water, get water!’ There was panic,” she added.
The suspect was also injured and transported to hospital. Authorities have not yet detailed the extent of his injuries or whether he has legal representation.
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn urged the public to avoid speculation while interviews with witnesses continued.
“It would be irresponsible to assume motive while our investigation is still ongoing,” he said. “This was a peaceful gathering, and the injuries are consistent with them having been set on fire.”
“This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street, and this act was unacceptable,” Redfearn added. “I ask that you join me in thinking about the victims, the families of those victims, and everyone involved in this tragedy.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, said he was closely monitoring the investigation and condemned the incident.
“Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable,” Polis said in a statement.
The incident comes amid a period of heightened polarisation in the United States over the ongoing war on Gaza.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the United States over Israel’s war on Gaza, President Donald Trump, have sought to characterise pro-Palestinian demonstrations as antisemitic.
READ: Israel approves 22 new settlements in West Bank
His administration has been accused of detaining anti-war protesters without charge and withholding federal funding from elite universities that have allowed such protests on campus.
Sunday’s rally was one of a series of weekly events organised by Run For Their Lives, a volunteer group advocating for the release of Israeli captives.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said locals identified the suspect as carrying two glass bottles believed to contain petrol.
“He appeared shirtless, shouting in the crowd, and threw what people believe were petrol bombs,” Fisher said.
The Jewish community in Boulder issued a joint statement condemning the assault.
“We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that an incendiary device was thrown at walkers at the Run for Their Lives walk on Pearl Street as they were raising awareness for the hostages still held in Gaza,” the statement said.
“We stand in solidarity with those injured and their families.”
No formal charges have yet been announced, but federal officials have vowed to prosecute the suspect to the full extent of the law.
The FBI, local police and counterterrorism units are continuing their investigation.
READ MORE: 31 dead in Israeli gunfire near aid site
Israel's war on Gaza
The total death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza has risen to 54,418 killed and 124,190 injured since October 7, 2023, the ministry said, Al Jazeera reported.
Israel has killed 4,149 Palestinians and injured 12,149 since breaking two-month-old ceasefire on March 18 this year.
Israel's atrocities have displaced around 90% of Gaza’s estimated 2 million residents, created a severe hunger crisis, and caused widespread destruction across the territory.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ