Following an attack at a Boulder, Colorado, mall where a man used a “makeshift flamethrower” against a crowd protesting for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, eight individuals were hospitalized.
Boulder police reported that the injured, consisting of four women and four men aged 52 to 88, were taken to Denver metro hospitals. According to a on X released by the police on Monday morning, there have been no fatalities. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn stated Sunday evening that at least one victim was in serious condition, with injuries characteristic of burn victims.
The identities of those injured have not yet been disclosed.
Elyana Funk, the director of University of Colorado Boulder Hillel, which serves Jewish students, that several victims were well-known within the community. She noted that an 80-year-old Holocaust survivor and her daughter were among the injured. Funk mentioned speaking with another injured woman on Sunday night who was “healing from horrible burns.”
Early Monday, a Boulder Community Health spokesperson that patients treated at Foothills Hospital Emergency Department had either been transferred or discharged, but offered no further details.
The victims were participating in a event, a recurring global demonstration advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
According to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the National Counterterrorism Center is collaborating with the FBI and local authorities to the incident as a possible “targeted act of terrorism.” FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek reported that the suspect shouted “Free Palestine” while deploying the incendiary device.
Authorities have arrested Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, . He faces two counts of first-degree murder.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated in a on X that Soliman is an undocumented immigrant who remained in the country beyond his tourism visa. She added that he applied for asylum in September 2022.
“We stand in full solidarity with those targeted. And we will continue to ensure that justice is pursued swiftly, support is provided to victims and their communities, and preventative action is taken to protect everyone’s safety. We stand in full solidarity with those targeted,” Michalek said in a .