by BOULDER, CO — A man accused of launching a violent Molotov cocktail assault on a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder allegedly delayed the attack for a deeply personal reason: his daughter’s high school graduation.
Mohamed Soliman, 45, faces a mountain of charges after Sunday’s attack, which officials are calling a premeditated act of terrorism and a federal hate crime. Soliman, according to court documents, told investigators he had been planning the assault for a year and chose to wait until his daughter graduated just days earlier before carrying out his deadly plan.
The incident unfolded at a peaceful “Run for Their Lives” rally at a pedestrian mall, where demonstrators gathered to advocate for the release of hostages held by Hamas. Soliman, disguised as a gardener and allegedly shouting “Free Palestine,” hurled incendiary devices into the crowd, injuring 12 people, including elderly attendees aged 52 to 88. Eight were hospitalized with burns—two remain in serious condition.
“He Would Do It Again”
Soliman reportedly told police that he “wanted to kill all Zionist people” and “wished they were all dead.” Though he claimed the attack was aimed at “Zionists, not Jews,” federal and state authorities have charged him with attempted first-degree murder (16 counts), a federal hate crime, and terror-related offenses.
According to the FBI, Soliman made the Molotov cocktails using YouTube tutorials, filling glass wine carafes and Ball jars with gasoline and stuffing them with red cloth rags. He also wielded a makeshift flamethrower crafted from a weed sprayer, found at the scene loaded with flammable liquid.
When arrested, 16 additional unlit Molotov cocktails were within arm’s reach in his car.
“No One Knew My Plan”
Soliman, who drove 100 miles from Colorado Springs to Boulder, said he had no intention of surviving the attack and had told no one of his plans. Surveillance and social media footage show him carrying the incendiary weapons while shouting, “How many children killed?” and “End Zionist.”
His wife and five children were unaware, officials said.
Immigration Status, Motive Under Scrutiny
Soliman, born in Egypt and raised in Kuwait, entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa in 2022, later applying for asylum. His visa expired in early 2023, and though he was briefly granted a work permit, he has been unlawfully present in the U.S. since March 2025, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
He had previously attempted to purchase a firearm but was denied due to his immigration status. This led him to turn to homemade explosives, according to police.
Soliman worked as an Uber driver, but the company confirmed his account has since been banned.
Community, National Response
Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett called the attack “horrific” and said it has shaken the city’s Jewish residents. “Fears that many have expressed have now become reality,” he said.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned the assault as “hatred we will never tolerate,” and President Donald Trump, posting on Truth Social, called for stronger border security, writing, “We must deport illegal, anti-American radicals from our homeland.”
Former President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in, with Biden urging Americans to stand “united against antisemitic violence and hate,” and Rubio promising swift deportation for “terrorist sympathizers on visas.”
Soliman appeared in court Monday via video from Boulder County Jail, where his bond remains set at $10 million. He’s due back in court Thursday for formal state charges.
