Boulder terror suspect charged with 118 felony counts in Colorado court

The charges include 28 counts of violent crime with use of weapon, 28 counts of violent crime with serious bodily injury, 18 counts of use incendiary device in assault, 28 counts assault w extreme indiffernce, 14 attemped murder after deliberation. Those 116 counts are all felonies or serious charges, plus there are 1 misdemeanor count cruelty to animal, and 1 misdemeanor reckless assault.

Soliman appeared in court virtually, by video monitor from the Boulder jail. He did not speak but stood quietly in an orange jail jumpsuit, his arms cuffed in front of him. In court documents, Soliman is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 231 pounds, and a white male.

Soliman’s wife is reportedly Hayam Salah Alsaid Ahmed Elgamal, a 41-year-old Egyptian citizen, and their eldest daughter is 17-year-old Habiba Mohamed Sabrey Farag Soliman. (Some reports have claimed that this eldest daughter is 18).

Mohamed Soliman and his wife reportedly have five children. Their civil attorney has said they are between 4 and 17 years old, according to his statements in a civil lawsuit. Federal authorities have said that the couple has two minor sons and three minor daughters, all of whom are Egyptian citizens, and are children of Soliman. Eric Lee, one of the lawyers representing Ms. El Gamal, said the entire Soliman family was being detained at a family detention center in Texas.

Soliman, his wife, and five children first came to the US on August 27, 2022. They were granted entry until February 26, 2023. On September 29, 2022, Soliman filed for asylum in Denver, Colorado, and he listed his wife and five children as dependents, according to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem.

Soliman is an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa in the US and remained in the country unlawfully since 2022, Secretary Noem stated. Court papers show that the US government has charged Soliman with one hate crime, for which he could serve ten years prison, and pay a $250,000 fine.

According to court papers, local Boulder police Detective Tuck interviewed Mohamed Soliman while he was in hospital, where he was taken immediately after the attack, because Soliman reportedly caught himself on fire during the incident. Soliman told the cop he was born in Egypt, lived in Kuwait for 17 years, and moved to Colorado Springs three years ago with his wife and children. Soliman reportedly lived at 2316 Washo Circle in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado. Soliman has a Colorado driver’s license.

Soliman allegedly told the officer that he planned the attack for a year and was waiting for his oldest daughter to graduate from high school before he actually attacked. His oldest daughter graduated one week ago, on Thursday, May 29, three days before the attack on the following Sunday, June 1.

Soliman said he took a concealed-carry gun class and learned to shoot, but that he was denied when he tried to purchase a gun because he is not a legal citizen. Soliman said he then searched YouTube to learn how to make Molotov cocktails.

Soliman said he bought 8 glass containers from Target, including glass wine carafe bottles and Ball jars. He bought a black plastic container with a yellow top, in which investigators later found at least fourteen unlit Molotov cocktails. Those jars had red rags hanging out as wicks or fuses.

Soliman also stated that he picked up gasoline at a gas station on the way to Boulder. Soliman reportedly made an online search and saw a post on Facebook by a “Zionist Group,” he knew they planned to meet that day, a Sunday, on June 1 at 1:00 pm, and he arrived at about 12:55 pm and waited for them on Pearl Street.

Soliman expressed hatred of the “Zionist Organization” because of the bombings taking place in Palestine. Soliman said he made an internet search and found the group which advertised their weekly walks in front of the Boulder courthouse on Sundays. The group has had these walks weekly since the attack by Hamas on Israel in October 7, 2023, at which time Hamas kidnapped over 200 people from Israel and took them back to Gaza as hostages.

The group wanted to publicize the fact that Hamas still held hostages in Gaza. Soliman said he knew when the “Zionists” would meet, at 1 pm, in front of the Boulder Courthouse, which is located at 1303 Pearl St., in Boulder, Colorado.

Soliman said he drove from Castle Rock, where he purchased most of the materials for his attack, and he arrived in Boulder about 12:50 pm and waited for the group to gather near 13th and Pearl Street.

Soliman said he filled the glass containers with gasoline and put them in a black storage bin and he got as close as possible to the Zionist group. He dressed himself like a gardener. He wore an orange vest, and bought flowers from Home Depot in Castle Rock. He also bought a backpack sprayer which he filled with gasoline and wore on his back as he approached the group. He said he did not spray the gasoline on anyone but himself because he had planned on dying. He said several times to one investigator that he wanted to be dead, according to statements in court papers.

Investigators stated that after the attack they found a total of 18 different incendiary devices, including the two that Soliman allegedly lit and threw into the crowd.

Soliman reportedly admitted that he traveled to Boulder, Colorado in his vehicle, a 2015 silver Toyota Prius, with the Molotov cocktails, and threw two of the cocktails at people in the pro-Israel gathering. He allegedly stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead. Soliman stated he would do it again.

Local law enforcement was dispatched Sunday at 1:27 pm to the outdoor Pearl Street Mall, after being alerted to a man attacking a peaceful event advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza, according to the Boulder Police Department. The first reports claimed that the man was using a home-made flame thrower.

Police responded to an “ongoing arson incident at the Boulder courthouse,” at 1:25 pm Pearl Street, in the City and County of Boulder, Colorado. At 1:26 police got calls about a man with a “blow torch,” and then throwing Molotov cocktails. Officers arrived at 1:30 and within two minutes the suspect was in custody, according to a local police affidavit.

Soliman was quickly detained by local law enforcement. A black plastic container with a yellow top was found near where Soliman was arrested. Inside the black plastic container were at least fourteen unlit Molotov cocktails, comprised of glass wine carafe bottles or Ball jars containing clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the bottles. Near the black plastic container was a backpack weed sprayer, potentially containing a flammable substance. The clear liquid in the glass bottles and weed sprayer were determined to be 87 octane gasoline, which was determined to contain xylene based on a field test.

Investigators found a 2015 silver Toyota Prius registered to Soliman and parked nearby on Spruce Street and 13th Street. Visible inside the car was red material consistent with the rags found in the black plastic container; a red gas container; and paperwork with the words, “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID.” Local police detective Quayle used a bomb suit to clear the suspect’s car, which had cans of gasoline and rags and a Quran inside, in view. The vehicle was taken to an FBI facility in Denver.