FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed an investigation into a suspected terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, which has left eight people injured. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national, had overstayed his visa and was arrested at the scene, where he allegedly set fire to victims peacefully participating in a rally for Israeli hostages in Gaza. The attack unfolded on Sunday, with reports of a man with a weapon setting people on fire.
Soliman, 45, was identified as being in the U.S. illegally, having arrived in 2022 on a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa, which he was not allowed to stay beyond. His work authorization, granted under the Biden administration, was valid until March of this year. The suspect was heard chanting anti-Israel slogans, including ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘We have to end Zionists, they are killers,’ according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League.
The attack occurred near an event organized by ‘Run for Their Lives,’ a grassroots group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages. The group stated it has been holding peaceful events since October 2023 without any violence until this incident. Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser highlighted the hate-motivated nature of the attack, emphasizing that violence is not the solution to addressing differing viewpoints on global conflicts.
Investigations are ongoing, with the FBI and local law enforcement working together to determine the full extent of Soliman’s actions. The incident has drawn significant attention from political figures, including Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who called the attack a ‘heinous act of terror.’ International leaders, including Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, have also spoken out against the violence, linking it to rising anti-Semitism and the influence of global events on domestic security.