Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was formally charged with one count of a hate crime involving race, religion or national origin in federal court on Friday, June 6. This comes the day after Soliman was charged with 118 state criminal charges, including 28 counts of attempted first-degree murder.
If convicted, Soliman would face up to 48 years in prison for each count of attempted murder. The federal hate crime charge carries a potential life sentence.
Soliman appeared in the U.S. District Court of Colorado on Friday afternoon, his face burned on one side and his wrists shackled. Soliman sat quietly in the jury box during the proceeding; he made no statements beyond yes-or-no answers to Magistrate Judge Timothy O’Hara's questions, which were translated to Soliman in Arabic. The Denver courtroom was so packed with reporters and onlookers that some attendees were diverted into an overflow room.
He is accused of throwing two homemade Molotov cocktails at a group of demonstrators on June 1 during their weekly walk on Boulder's Pearl Street, advocating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Soliman allegedly yelled "Free Palestine" during the ambush and later told police that he wanted to kill them as "revenge" against Israelis for the Israeli-Palestinian war, according to arrest affidavits.
Fifteen people and one dog were caught in the attack, authorities say. Multiple people suffered serious burns, and three remained hospitalized as of Thursday afternoon. The victims range from 25 to 88 years old, including 88-year-old Holocaust survivor Barbara Steinmetz. Eight of the victims are women and seven are men.
"The charges reflect the evidence that we have regarding this horrific attack that took place and the seriousness of it," Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said during a June 5 press conference. "I am absolutely committed to making sure the defendant is fully prosecuted."
In interviews with police, Soliman reportedly admitted to planning the attack for over a year, waiting until his daughter graduated from high school before carrying it out. He searched for local Zionist groups online and found the weekly Run for Their Lives event held in Boulder, the affidavits say.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45 of Colorado Springs, is being held on a $10 million bond for the attack in Boulder.
Boulder Police Department
Soliman allegedly prepared eighteen Molotov cocktails and a backpack weed-sprayer filled with gasoline to attack the peaceful group. He carried flowers and wore an orange vest to appear like a gardener as he approached, before reportedly hurling two flaming bottles at the victims.
Soliman is an Egyptian national who works as an Uber driver and lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children. He came to the United States in late 2022 on a tourist visa. He later requested asylum and remained in the country after his visa expired in February 2023.
The 118 state charges filed against Soliman consist of 62 counts for crimes committed against the victims and 56 crimes of violence designations. The former include 28 counts of attempted first-degree murder (fourteen with extreme indifference and fourteen after deliberation), five counts of first-degree assault on an at-risk person, four counts of first-degree assault, five counts of attempted first-degree assault, one count of third-degree assault, one count of animal cruelty, two counts of use of an incendiary device and sixteen counts of attempted use of an incendiary device.
Soliman is being held in Boulder County Jail on a $10 million bond.
His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing for the federal case on June 18. He is due in court for the state charges on July 15.
