For a year, he did his research and plotted his attack. Officials say Muhammad Soliman told them he waited until his daughter graduated from high school, and then he burned his Jewish victims with a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails.
Soliman specifically targeted a group that hosts weekly events to bring attention to the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Federal hate crime charges and state murder charges have been filed against him.
According to the FBI, Soliman confessed to the attack. He told investigators, “He wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” said he had “no regrets,” and would do it again.
J. Bishop Grewell, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, said, “Mr. Soliman stated that he had been planning this attack for a year, and he acted because he hated what he called the Zionist group.”
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Soliman specifically targeted the “Run for Their Lives” group—a national organization with a chapter in Boulder, Colorado—that hosts weekly runs and walking events aimed at bringing attention to the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza for more than 600 days.
Soliman, dressed as a gardener, tried to blend in as he waited for his victims to march toward him before unleashing a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails on the crowd while yelling, “Free Palestine.”
Eyewitness Alex Osante said, “And then the attacker came out from the bushes and the trees the second time and he threw another cocktail, and on the second one, he lit himself on fire accidentally… and after he lit himself on fire he took off the vest and the shirt and he was shirtless. But he still had his Molotov cocktails in his hand, ready to use them, ready to put all of them and explode them on people.”
The husband and father of five told investigators no one else knew about his year-long plan to target Jewish people, and he expected to die during his assault.
Mark Michalek, Special Agent in Charge for FBI Denver, said, “If we uncover evidence that others knew of this attack or supported the subject in this attack, rest assured that we will aggressively move to hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Officials say eight people, ranging in age from 52 to 88, were hospitalized Sunday with burns, and two of those victims remained in the hospital Monday. Four other people suffered minor injuries.
Federal officials say Soliman is in the U.S. illegally. Born in Egypt, he lived in Kuwait for 17 years and moved to Colorado Springs three years ago. He stayed in the U.S. after his work permit expired, which he was granted after his visa ended.
Soliman was ordered back to court on Thursday. As of now, he’s not being charged with terrorism, although the FBI is investigating it as a terror case. If convicted, Soliman could be sentenced to life in prison.
