Colorado terror attack suspect charged with hate crime, murder, assault

The suspect in the Colorado terror attack was charged on Monday with a federal hate crime by the Justice Department and with murder and assault by the state.

Egyptian foreign national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested after allegedly yelling "Free Palestine" and using a makeshift flamethrower on Sunday to attack participants in an outdoor vigil in Boulder, Colo., for Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Eight people were injured, aged 52 to 88, including one in critical condition. None of the victims have died. The FBI has called it a targeted terror attack.

Soliman was scheduled to appear in state court in Boulder on Monday afternoon on charges of murder in the first degree – deliberation with intent; murder in the first degree – extreme indifference; crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; 1st degree assault – non-family; 1st degree assault – heat of passion; criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies; and use of explosives or incendiary devices during felony, Fox News reported

The DOJ charged Soliman with a hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.

According to an FBI affidavit, Soliman confessed to committing the attack and told police he would do it again, The Associated Press reported.

Soliman told investigators “he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” that he specifically targeted the group he attacked, and that he researched and planned it for more than a year, per court documents.

He first arrived in the U.S. in August 2022 with a non-immigrant visa and was authorized to stay through Feb. 2, 2023, but he didn't leave, Fox News reported. He then filed a claim with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Sept. 9, 2022. Soliman was granted work authorization on March 29, 2023, which was valid through this past March.