Eight Injured In Flamethrower Attack At Colorado Event For Israeli Hostages—What To Know

 

Law enforcement officials investigate after an attack on the Pearl Street Mall Sunday, in Boulder, Colo.

At least eight people were injured at a gathering in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, after a man attacked the event using a makeshift flamethrower, the FBI said.

Key Facts

The suspected attacker was immediately taken into custody after he was identified by witnesses and the FBI said it was investigating the attack with Boulder Police as an act of terrorism.

In a press conference, Mark Michalek, the F.B.I. special agent in charge, said witnesses told investigators the suspect used a “makeshift flamethrower”, threw an incendiary device at the crowd and shouted “Free Palestine” during the attack.

The FBI official said the arrested suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman of Colorado Springs.

The eight victims injured in the attack are between the ages of 52 to 88, among whom at least four were taken to the Boulder Community Hospital, while two others with serious injuries were airlifted to a medical facility in Denver.

Police said they first received calls about the incident, which took place in downtown Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall area, around 1:26 p.m. local time.

As of late Sunday night, some portions of Pearl Street remained closed, according to Boulder Police.

What Else Do We Know About The Attack?

Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said they do not believe any accomplice of the suspect was still at large and they have not been able to confirm initial reports suggesting there were two people involved in the attack. “We are not going to say that with absolute certainty, because we are still conducting a lot of interviews,” the police chief said. Michalek said there was no immediate indication that the suspect was linked any specific group, but noted that the investigation was still ongoing.

What Do We Know About The Event Targeted By The Attack?

The gathering targeted by the attack was organized by a national group called “Run for Their Lives”, which does weekly demonstrations to raise awareness about the hostages still being held by Hamas and its affiliates in Gaza. The group’s website describes the event as a weekly 1-kilometer (0.6-mile) walk or run. In a statement on Instagram, the group said their walk in Boulder was “disrupted in a violent assault that Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is calling a hate crime.” The statement added that Run for Their Lives is a “an apolitical global organization with the sole mission of walking peacefully to raise awareness for the 58 hostages still held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza.”

Crucial Quote

“My thoughts go out to the people who have been injured by this heinous and targeted act on the Jewish community…As the Jewish community reels from the recent antisemitic murders in Washington, D.C., it is unfathomable that the community is facing another antisemitic attack here in Boulder on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot…Hate is unacceptable in our Colorado for all, and I condemn this act of terror,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.