An 82-year-old woman from Colorado has died of injuries she sustained during an antisemitic firebombing attack that targeted pro-Israel demonstrators at the beginning of the month.
The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office stated that Karen Diamond died from “the severe injuries that she suffered in the attack.” The pro-Palestinian attacker threw Molotov cocktails at people who were peacefully marching for the release of Israelis who are still being held hostage by residents of Gaza.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman was indicted last week on 12 hate crime charges related to the June 1 attack in downtown Boulder. He is accused of attempting to kill eight people who were injured as he shouted “Free Palestine!” while targeting them with Molotov cocktails—bottles filled with flammable liquid that are ignited.
During a hearing on Friday, Soliman’s attorney, David Kraut, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Soliman is represented by public defenders, who do not speak to the media about their cases.
Investigators report that Soliman said he intended to kill the approximately 20 people participating in the weekly demonstration on Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall. However, he only threw two of more than two dozen Molotov cocktails.
Soliman is also facing prosecution in state court on attempted murder and other charges. He told investigators he had tried to purchase a gun but was unsuccessful because he is not a “legal citizen.”
Soliman did not speak during last week’s hearing and listened to translations through headphones provided by an Arabic interpreter.
Federal authorities state that the Egyptian national has been living in the U.S. illegally with his family.
Prosecutors allege that Soliman posed as a gardener and wore a construction vest to get close to the group before launching the attack.
According to prosecutors, the victims were targeted based on their perceived or actual national origin.
