Colorado Rally Attack: Federal Hate Crime Charges Filed
Federal Hate Crime Charges Filed in Boulder Pro-Israel Rally Attack
Updated June 02, 2025
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a Colorado man, is now facing federal hate crime charges for his alleged involvement in a bomb attack targeting a pro-Israel rally in Boulder. The U.S. Department of Justice affidavit details the incident, which left twelve people injured and has sparked widespread concern about antisemitic violence.
Soliman, 45, already faced state charges, including attempted murder, following the Sunday attack. The Boulder rally aimed to raise awareness about hostages taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has vowed to hold Soliman accountable to the fullest extent of the law, calling it an “antisemitic terror attack.”
According to the affidavit,Soliman had been planning the attack for more than a year. Investigators discovered 14 Molotov cocktails filled with gasoline near the location where he was apprehended.A gasoline canister was also found in his nearby car, and a weed sprayer filled with gasoline was discovered at the scene. Soliman reportedly told investigators he learned how to make the firebombs from YouTube.
The affidavit also mentions a social media video showing soliman “shirtless, pacing back and forth while holding what appear to be Molotov cocktails” during the attack. Soliman, held on a $10 million bail, allegedly told police he “wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead.”
the attack occurred on the Pearl Street pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder, amid heightened global tensions related to Israel’s war on Gaza. This event also coincided with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and followed another incident in Washington where a man yelling “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers.
Soliman, who lived with his wife and five children in Colorado Springs, allegedly waited until after his daughter’s graduation to carry out the attack, according to the complaint. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stated that Soliman had overstayed his tourist visa and had an expired work permit. While federal documents do not specify his nationality, the New York Times reported he is Egyptian, citing the Department of Homeland Security.
former President Donald Trump criticized President Biden’s border policies in response to the attack, calling it a “terrible tragedy” and blaming “Biden’s ridiculous Open Border Policy” for allowing soliman into the country.
Boulder police reported that four women and four men, aged 52 to 88, were hospitalized after the attack. An additional four victims were identified later. The event targeted by the hate crime was organized by Run for Their Lives, a group focused on raising awareness about hostages seized during the Hamas attack on Israel. Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm noted that the 88-year-old victim was a Holocaust refugee.
The suspect, who was being detained in lieu of $10m bail, according to official records, told police he “wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead”.
What’s next
The investigation into the Boulder hate crime attack continues, with federal and local authorities working to determine the full extent of Soliman’s planning and motivations. The incident has renewed discussions about antisemitic violence and border security policies in the United States.