Eight injured in Boulder attack during vigil for Israeli hostages

Eight people were injured on Sunday when a 45-year-old man reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” and threw incendiary devices into a crowd in Boulder, Colorado, during a demonstration in support of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, according to authorities.

Boulder police reported that four men and four women, aged between 52 and 88, were taken to local hospitals. Earlier estimates had placed the number of injured at six, with at least one person in critical condition.

FBI Special Agent Mark Michalek, who heads the Denver Field Office, stated, “Based on preliminary evidence, this is clearly a targeted act of violence,” and confirmed that the FBI is treating the case as an act of terrorism.

The suspect, identified as Mohamed Soliman, was also hospitalized after the incident. Reuters was unable to reach him or his family for comment.

FBI Director Kash Patel also labeled the incident a “targeted terror attack,” while Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it appeared to be a hate crime. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn indicated that no additional suspects are believed to be involved. “We’re fairly confident we have the lone suspect in custody,” he said.

The attack occurred at the Pearl Street Mall, a well-known pedestrian shopping area near the University of Colorado, during a weekly demonstration organized by Run for Their Lives, a group that advocates for the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its 2023 attack on Israel. The organization stated this was the first violent incident since the walks began.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, asserting that the victims were targeted “simply because they were Jews,” and called on U.S. authorities to fully prosecute “the cold-blooded perpetrator.” He added, “Antisemitic attacks around the world are the result of blood libels against the Jewish state and people. This must be stopped.”

The incident comes amid increased tensions in the U.S. over the war in Gaza. Antisemitic hate crimes have risen, while conservative leaders, led by former President Donald Trump, have characterized pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic. Trump's administration has reportedly detained anti-war demonstrators without charge and pulled funding from elite universities that allowed such protests.

On social media platform X, Trump’s former deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, claimed Soliman had overstayed his visa and was granted work authorization by the previous administration. He argued that the attack underscores the need to reverse what he called “suicidal migration” policies. Reuters could not independently verify Soliman’s immigration status. The Department of Homeland Security said more details would be released when available.

Eyewitness Accounts and Victim Injuries

University of Colorado student Brooke Coffman, 19, witnessed the attack. She described seeing four women with burns, one of whom was severely injured and wrapped in a flag by another person. Coffman also saw a shirtless man, presumed to be the attacker, holding a bottle of clear liquid and yelling.

“Everyone was shouting, ‘Get water, get water!’” she recalled.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the incident an antisemitic act of violence. “This is horrifying, and this cannot continue. We must stand up to antisemitism,” he posted on X.

This attack follows the recent arrest of a Chicago-born man in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., after an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee. That shooting further inflamed political divisions over the Gaza conflict.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis expressed his shock on social media, stating, “It’s unfathomable that the Jewish community is facing another terror attack here in Boulder.”