New Details: Boulder Terrorist Planned Attack for a Year, Charged With Federal Hate Crimes

A man who admitted to launching a firebomb assault on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, has been charged with a federal hate crime and 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder under state law. Authorities are calling the incident an act of terrorism.

According to federal court filings, 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman allegedly researched how to build Molotov cocktails on YouTube, purchased the materials, and constructed the weapons himself.

Soliman had attempted to purchase a firearm but was denied due to his immigration status. State documents say he “resorted to Molotov cocktails” after being unable to buy a gun legally due to his being an illegal alien.

Court records say Soliman disguised himself as a gardener to get close to the rally and later told investigators he “wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” adding that he would repeat the act if he could.

Soliman, a married father of five, allegedly said he had been planning the attack for a year but waited until after his daughter’s high school graduation to carry it out. He told investigators he expected to die during the attack.

Soliman appeared remotely at his first court hearing from Boulder County Jail, where a judge upheld his $10 million bond. He acknowledged receipt of a protection order barring contact with victims. A formal filing of charges is set for Thursday.

According to court documents, Soliman drove about 100 miles from Colorado Springs to Boulder, stopped for gas, and filled eight glass bottles to make Molotov cocktails. He dressed as a gardener to get close to the group and transported the devices in a black storage bin.

The FBI said Soliman used a makeshift flamethrower and threw at least one incendiary device into a crowd gathered for the “Run for Their Lives” rally, an event calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Video from the scene shows him holding firebombs while yelling “Free Palestine,” “How many children killed,” and “end Zionist.” He reportedly told authorities he threw only two of the devices because he became scared.

Eight people aged 52 to 88 were hospitalized with burns. Four others later reported minor injuries, bringing the total to 12 victims.

The attack follows a deadly shooting two weeks ago when Elias Rodriguez shot two Israeli embassy workers at a Washington DC Jewish museum, and told authorities that he did it “For Palestine, for Gaza.”

Sixteen unused Molotov cocktails were recovered within arm’s reach of Soliman at the time of his arrest, according to the FBI. The unlit devices were made from wine bottles and mason jars filled with gasoline, topped with red rags. A backpack sprayer containing flammable liquid was also found. Tests confirmed the fuel included xylene.

The Department of Homeland Security, in a bulletin reviewed by ABC News, called the attack “unique,” citing the use of both improvised firebombs and a flamethrower. DHS warned that violence tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict could inspire further extremist acts in the U.S.

Soliman, born in Egypt and a former resident of Kuwait, moved to Colorado Springs three years ago. He entered the U.S. in 2022 on a B2 tourist visa and applied for asylum shortly after. His visa expired in February 2023, though he was granted a temporary work permit, which expired in March 2025. Officials confirmed he is currently in the country illegally.

Uber confirmed Soliman had worked as a driver, and his account has since been banned.

Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett called the attack “outrageous and despicable,” adding that “such a peaceful, well-intentioned gathering was violated… with a horrific act of violence.” He said Jewish residents have expressed fear, which “came true yesterday with that horrific terrorist attack.”

Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned the act in a statement, saying, “We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.”

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the crimes will be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law,” adding that the U.S. must “deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote, “All terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathizers here on a visa should know that under the Trump Administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you.”