Molotov Attack Targeted Hostage Walk in Boulder, Colorado

In an attack classified by the FBI as a terrorist act, a man threw firebombs and sprayed flammable liquid at Jews walking to raise awareness for the hostages, injuring twelve people, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor and a university professor.

By Anash.org reporter

On Erev Shavuos, a terror attack at a peaceful vigil in Boulder, Colorado, left several Jews injured after a man hurled Molotov cocktails and sprayed gasoline at participants during a weekly walk for Israeli hostages.

The attack took place around 1:26 PM near the courthouse on Pearl Street Mall during Run for Their Lives, a global effort that organizes weekly silent walks to raise awareness for the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The Boulder group has walked every Sunday since October 7.

The assailant, identified as Mohamed Soliman, an illegal alien in his fifties, was lying in wait for the group. Witnesses said he shouted antisemitic threats, including “You Zionists kill my people so I kill you,” as he launched the firebombs and sprayed flammable liquid from a gardening tool. Multiple victims, most of them elderly, were burned. Some remain hospitalized with serious injuries.

Boulder Police responded within minutes and arrested Soliman at the scene. They handed the case over to the FBI, which is treating the incident as a targeted terror attack.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau is “fully investigating a targeted terror attack” and that agents were already working with local law enforcement at the scene. He promised further updates as more information becomes available.

Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, shliach and director of Chabad at the University of Colorado, said that one of the victims is an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, and another is a university professor.

A joint statement from Boulder’s Jewish community expressed heartbreak over the attack. They said their “hearts go out to those who witnessed this horrible attack” and that they are “grateful for the first responders.” They are working closely with SCN, Boulder PD, and the FBI to support victims and ensure community safety.

President Donald J. Trump issued a strong statement: “Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America. He came in through Biden’s ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly. He must go out under ‘TRUMP’ Policy. Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland. My heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and the Great People of Boulder, Colorado!”

Officials in Israel strongly condemned the incident, calling it a dangerous escalation of antisemitic violence driven by anti-Israel incitement. “Lies against Israel transform into fire against Jews,” the statement read. They urged an end to the spread of hatred and misinformation fueling these attacks.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded: “My wife and I, and all of Israel, are praying for the full recovery of those injured in the despicable terror attack in Boulder. This was a deliberate assault on peaceful individuals expressing solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas—targeted simply because they are Jews.” He added that he trusts U.S. authorities to prosecute the attacker to the fullest extent and take all necessary steps to prevent future antisemitic violence. “These attacks are the direct result of incitement against Israel and the Jewish people. It must be stopped.”

Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel’s representative to the UN, said, “Terror against Jews doesn’t stop at the Gaza border—it’s burning the streets of America. In Boulder, Colorado, Jews walked with a simple moral demand: to bring the hostages home. In response, they were brutally attacked. This is not protest, this is terror. The time for statements is over. We must act against the inciters, wherever they are.”

Secretary Kristi Noem announced that DHS and ICE had taken Soliman’s wife and five children into custody for expedited deportation. “This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said. She confirmed that federal authorities are investigating whether the family had prior knowledge or involvement in the attack. According to ICE officials, the family may be deported as early as tonight.

As of this writing, three victims remain hospitalized at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Denver. A total of twelve people were injured in the attack, with victims ranging in age from 52 to 88.