An Egyptian immigrant accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, is facing federal and state charges, as Donald Trump and his allies seize on the case to renew calls for aggressive immigration enforcement. Authorities say 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who overstayed a tourist visa after arriving in the U.S. in 2022, meticulously planned the June 1 attack for over a year and targeted the event "because he hated the Zionist group."
Twelve people were injured in the firebomb assault, which federal officials have labeled a hate crime and act of terrorism. Soliman was arrested at the scene and remains in custody on a $10 million bond. According to an FBI affidavit, he shouted "Free Palestine" as he carried out the attack using a backpack sprayer and homemade incendiary devices.
"Soliman stated he would do it again," said FBI agent Jessica Krueger. "He specifically targeted the 'Zionist Group' that had gathered in Boulder."
Soliman, a father of five and former Uber driver, allegedly waited to launch the assault until after his daughter graduated high school. He drove from Colorado Springs to Boulder with gasoline-filled bottles, flowers, and a pesticide sprayer disguised as gardening equipment to get close to the demonstrators, according to police records.
The attack took place outside the Boulder County Courthouse during a silent march advocating for the return of Israeli hostages. "We don't confront anybody when we're walking," said Lisa Turnquist, a regular participant in the weekly marches. "We ignore the people who are against us. Week after week... they say we're causing genocide. We are not causing genocide."
Turnquist, who is Jewish and helped extinguish flames on one elderly victim, said Soliman appeared out of place. "Something said keep on walking by him," she recalled. "Others weren't so lucky."
Investigators recovered 14 additional unused Molotov cocktails and a gasoline-loaded weed sprayer near where Soliman was detained. He reportedly left behind a journal and messages to his family, indicating he had intended to die in the attack.
"He said he did not spray the gas on anyone but himself because he had planned on dying," police said in an affidavit. "He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it."
President Trump swiftly condemned the violence and blamed the Biden administration's immigration policies. "Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law," he wrote on Truth Social. "This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland."
Trump advisor Stephen Miller echoed the sentiment, writing on X that the "terror attack" was committed by an "illegal alien." He added: "Suicidal migration must be fully reversed."
Soliman's immigration status has become a flashpoint for Trump's allies, with The Gateway Pundit calling him "Biden's Illegal Alien from Egypt." The suspect entered on a tourist visa and later applied for asylum; according to Miller, he was later issued a work permit under Biden's policies.
While the suspect's religious affiliation has not been confirmed, right-wing commentators including Laura Loomer used the case to call for a renewed "Muslim ban" and crackdown on Islamic extremism.
Experts note that attacks like Soliman's underscore a rising trend of politically motivated violence in the U.S. Jewish organizations and local police increased security across Boulder in the wake of the attack. The Anti-Defamation League's Mountain States division warned, "The rising tide of antisemitism in America demands urgent action from all of us."
