The suspect behind last Sunday’s attack at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall had been planning the assault for a year, according to federal authorities. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, an Egyptian national in the U.S. illegally, faces federal and state charges after allegedly hurling Molotov cocktails at a peaceful demonstration supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza. The FBI has called it a “targeted terror attack,” revealing that Soliman had intended to strike a “Zionist group,” ultimately injuring 12 people during the incident.
At a Monday press conference, Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty confirmed that investigators found 16 additional unused Molotov cocktails within arm’s reach of Soliman. He now faces a federal hate crime charge alongside a slew of other federal offenses and 42 state charges, including attempted murder and assault. His bond is set at $10 million, cash only.
Separately, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) confirmed that Soliman previously attempted to purchase a handgun at a Colorado Springs sporting goods store in November 2024. The application was denied via the InstaCheck background system based on information from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). He was also denied a concealed handgun permit the following month. While the CBI did not disclose the specific reason, it acknowledged that denials can result from immigration status, triggering a notification to ICE when applicable.
Authorities credit Colorado’s background check system with preventing Soliman from legally acquiring a firearm ahead of the attack, highlighting the effectiveness of existing safeguards despite the suspect’s ability to carry out violence using improvised weapons.
