Family of suspected Boulder attackers detained on ice
Ice Agent has detained the wife and children of a man suspected of a violent attack on a pro-Israel march in Boulder, Colorado.
- Mohamed Soliman is facing a “return of submission” hearing in Boulder County court, officially filed in the June 1 assault.
- Soliman came to the US on a tourist visa in 2022, stayed after the visa expired and demanded asylum, Homeland Security officials said.
By the time Mohamed Sabri Soliman appeared before the Colorado Judge on June 5th, his wife and children may have arrived abroad.
The 45-year-old Soliman is facing a “return of submission” hearing at Boulder County Court CJ, with charges relating to the June 1 attack being formally filed. Those charges could include 16 counts of attempted murder, possession of 18 counts of burnt congerion and related crimes, Boulder County District Attorney said Michael Dougherty. He said the number of attempted murders alone will be punished in prison for up to 384 years.
He also faces the largest life sentence in prison if convicted of a federal hate crime charge.
Soliman told investigators he “want to kill all the Zionist people,” and according to court documents he planned and waited for the attack until his daughter graduated from high school. She graduated May 29, but his timing may provide most comfort to the family – his wife and five children were taken into custody on June 3 by Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers.
Soliman, an Egyptian native who lives in Colorado Springs, has been accused of fleeing in Gaza on June 1 in a demonstration that “bringed life” each week to remember the Israeli hostages. The two remained hospitalized on Tuesday.
He came to the US on a tourist visa in 2022 and demanded asylum, Homeland Security officials said. The work approval granted in 2023 has also expired. His wife and five children’s visas have been revoked, several media outlets, including The New York Times, reported.
“Today, DHS and ICE are taking the families of Boulder, Colorado, terrorists, illegal aliens and suspects Mohamed Soliman into ice custody,” Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem said in a post on X.
The FBI and police officers said their families were working with investigators. That may not be enough to allow them to stay in the US
The White House posted a message on June 3rd detailing the fate of the family. “Six one-way tickets for Mohamed’s wife and five children. The post showed that there could be a chance of deportation that night, although no confirmation deportation had been made as of early June 4th.
An overnight stay was set for Wednesday evening to honor victims of the attack.
“Healing starts with coming together in the community,” the Boulder Jewish Community Centre said in a statement on its website. “Participate at ‘Come Together: Community Gathering’. ”
The statement added, “Safety and security are our number one priority,” listing enhanced security plans, including an increase in police presence and a “hired security expert.”
“Please stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity,” the statement adds. “If you see something, say something.”
It bombed Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home in April, hours after the governor and his family hosted more than 20 people to celebrate the first night of Passover. Two weeks ago, a man shot and killed a young couple outside the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. Then, on June 1st, Boulder happened.
In all three cases, the suspects claimed their motives of loyalty to the Palestinians. The attack comes after years of escalating rhetoric, protests and demonstrations against the ongoing war in Gaza.
“The Jewish community is used to having bulletproof glass and metal detectors at the agency, but this was a public gathering,” Oren Segal, senior vice president of the Prevention League, told USA Today about the Boulder attack. “The Jewish community is currently worried about being publicly Jewish,” read more here.
