Investigating the attack at Colorado Mall FBI
The FBI is investigating reports of “target attacks” at Boulder, Colorado Mall.
Using agitators and makeshift flamethrowers, authorities say they attacked an event calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza at a pedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado.
The sole suspect, Mohamed Sabri Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, Colorado, was taken into custody at the scene after witnesses pointed him out, authorities said.
Authorities have not released many details about Soliman. Homeland Security Deputy Director Tricia McLaughlin said in X that Soliman entered the US on a B-2 tourist visa that expired a few months later. Multiple outlets said he is an Egyptian national, including CBS and Fox News, and cites unknown sources.
Soliman was booked with multiple preliminary charges, including first-degree murder and using explosives or burnt Cen devices while committing a felony. The prosecutor still weighs the claims he will file against him.
Police said Soliman was injured in the incident and was taken to a medically assessed hospital before being booked at Boulder County Jail. It is unknown if he has a lawyer.
How did the Boulder attack unfold?
Police say the Boulder Police Station was dispatched to the outdoor Peel Street Mall at 1:26pm on Sunday.
Witnesses said the attacker used a makeshift flamethrower and threw a burnt Cen device at the crowd, said Mark Mikalek, a special agent in charge of the FBI’s Denverfield office. He said an eyewitness heard the suspect screaming “free Palestine.”
Eight victims (four women ages 52 to 88, and men ages 52 to 88) were injured in the attack and were brought to hospitals in the Denver metropolitan area, according to the Boulder Police Department.
“As a result of these preliminary attacks, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence, and the FBI is investigating it as a terrorist act,” Mikalek said.
The suspect applied for asylum and got a tourist visa, officials say
McLaughlin said Soliman’s tourist visa expired six months after it arrived in the US in February 2023.
Generally, a B-2 visa is valid for six months and can be used to participate in holidays, visits, relatives, treatment, music, sports, or events. The State Department issues millions of B-1 and B-2 visas each year. The B-1 visa is similar to the B-2, allowing non-immigrants to visit for six months and six months of business.
Additionally, McLaughlin wrote to X that Soliman had applied for asylum in 2022. The claim was still pending. As of March, the immigration court backlog was around 3.6 million, according to Syracuse University’s transaction record access clearinghouse.
The FBI is raiding suspects’ homes in the Colorado terrorist attack
FBI agents searched Soliman’s home in El Paso County hours after being appointed suspect in a pedestrian mall attack.
“The FBI is located in El Paso County, Colorado, and is conducting court-sanctioned law enforcement activities related to the attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder,” the Denver agency’s field office said in X.
The agency does not provide details regarding the search.
Did Boulder’s attacker act on his own?
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfern at the press conference said authorities did not believe there would be any additional suspects in connection with the attack.
“We still do a lot of interviews so we’re not going to say that for sure,” he told reporters, adding, “We’re sure the lonely suspect is in custody.”
At the same press conference, Mikalek said authorities had not found any association between suspects and the larger criminal network or specific groups. However, he added, “This is a thorough and complete investigation and checks of them are underway.”
“We’re in the early stages of the investigation process, but both sides work together and we’ll see where the investigation goes,” he said.
How will Soliman be charged?
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Doherty said he and his office will work with the U.S. Lawyer’s Office to decide what claims they will file against Soliman.
“There are a few different options,” he told reporters at a press conference.
“But now, what I emphasize is that most importantly, we are completely united in ensuring that the fees we bring are fully responsible for the attackers.”
Contribution: Nick Pensenstadler
