Six elderly marchers were injured in a “targeted terror attack” in Boulder, Colorado, by a suspect chanting “free Palestine” as he set on fire members of a crowd gathered to commemorate Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza.
Mark D. Michalek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Denver Field Office, identified the suspect as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, and said the attack left six people injured, all of whom were between the ages of 67 and 88.
According to Fox News, citing Department of Homeland Security officials, the suspect is an Egyptian national who is in the U.S. illegally, having overstayed his visa.
The victims suffered burn injuries when authorities said the attacker used a makeshift flamethrower and threw “incendiary devices” at the crowd.
“It is clear that this is a targeted act violence and the FBI investigating this as an act of terrorism,” Agent Michalek said at a Sunday evening news conference. “Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres, New York Democrat, said the suspect “threw Molotov cocktails at a group of Jews in an attempt to burn them alive — simply for being Jewish.”
According to videos and photos posted on social media by eyewitnesses, the bare-chested suspect yelled “free Palestine” and “we have to end Zionists” as he started to lob the flaming bottles into the crowd.
He also appears to ask the marchers “how many children [have] you killed?”
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn had said earlier that the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Miri Kornfeld, an organizer with Run For Their Lives — the group raising awareness for the Israeli hostages — told KUSA-TV in Denver that one woman who became briefly engulfed in flames and had to roll on the ground to put out the fire.
Other reports from the scene had an elderly woman lying motionless, her hair badly burned, while others cared for her.
“What I will say lastly is this was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street, and this act is unacceptable,” Chief Redfearn said. “I ask for a little bit of patience as we do that, but also I ask that you join me in thinking about our victims, the families of those victims and everyone involved in this tragedy.”
FBI Director Kash Patel was more pointed in his impression of the incident and said his agency is “fully investigating a targeted terror attack.”
He said FBI agents are already on the scene and assisting in the investigation.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also spoke out against the suspected hate motive behind the attack.
“I am closely monitoring the situation in Boulder, and my thoughts go out to the people who have been injured and impacted by this heinous act of terror. Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable,” the governor wrote on X.
A spokesperson for Run For Their Lives said in a statement that “we are an apolitical organisation with the singular mission to raise awareness for the 58 hostages still in captivity.”
“We hope and believe that at least 20 of them are still alive, and we walk for the release of them all from the tunnels in Gaza,” the spokesperson said. “Our greatest concern at this moment is the well-being of the members of our group, most especially those who have been hospitalized.”
Multiple Jewish organizations have spoken out against the attack, including the World Jewish Congress.
“The firebombing of a peaceful march in Boulder, Colorado — organized to demand the release of hostages held by Hamas — is horrifying, but it should not come as a surprise,” Ronald S. Lauder, the organization’s president, said in a statement.
“Since October 7th, we have been warning that antisemitism is not isolated to the margins. Supporters of Hamas are now emboldened and threatening towns and cities across America and the democratic world,” he said.
Mr. Lauder said the attack is part of a “broader wave of hate” that has taken place on college campuses as well as outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in the District less than two weeks ago.
A pair of Israeli Embassy staffers were fatally gunned down while leaving an event at the museum in what officials have labeled an antisemitic attack.
Authorities said the suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, told officers after being arrested that he did it “for Palestine” and “for Gaza.”
Court documents said the suspect chanted “free, free Palestine” as officers were arresting him.
Mr. Rodriguez faces murder and weapons charges in the slaying of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgram, 26. Federal prosecutors said they are still looking into bringing hate crime and terrorism charges against the suspect, which could result in the death penalty.
The victims were a couple and just a few days away from getting engaged in Jerusalem.
