Eight individuals sustained injuries when a 45-year-old man shouted “Free Palestine” and hurled incendiary devices into a crowd in Boulder, Colorado, during a demonstration commemorating the Israeli hostages still in Gaza, according to US authorities.
Four women and four men, aged between 52 and 88, were taken to hospitals, Boulder police reported.
Initially, authorities had reported six injuries, with at least one person in critical condition.
“Given these preliminary facts, it is evident that this is a targeted act of violence, and the FBI is treating this as an act of terrorism,” stated Mark Michalek, the FBI special agent in charge of the Denver Field Office.
Mr. Michalek identified the suspect as Mohamed Soliman, aged 45, who was hospitalized shortly after the incident.
FBI Director Kash Patel also characterized the event as a “targeted terror attack,” while Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser mentioned that it appeared to be “a hate crime given the group that was targeted.”
We are aware of and are fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are already on the scene, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available. @FBI
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 1, 2025
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn expressed confidence that no one else was involved.
“We’re fairly confident that we have the lone suspect in custody,” he stated.
“This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street and this act was unacceptable,” Mr. Redfearn remarked at a prior press conference.
“I urge you to join me in thinking about the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this tragedy.”
The incident arises amid increased tensions in the United States over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has led to a rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes, as well as efforts by conservative supporters of Israel, led by President Donald Trump, to label pro-Palestinian protests as anti-Semitic.
His administration has detained war protesters without charges and has withdrawn funding from prestigious US universities that allowed such demonstrations.
Police established a roadblock into downtown following the incident.
Brooke Coffman, a 19-year-old from the University of Colorado who witnessed the Boulder event, reported seeing four women on the ground with burns on their legs.
One appeared to be severely burned and had been wrapped in a flag by someone, she noted.
She recalled seeing a man, presumed to be the attacker, standing shirtless in the courtyard, holding a glass bottle of clear liquid and shouting.
“Everyone was yelling, ‘get water, get water,'” Ms. Coffman said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a prominent Jewish Democrat, indicated he was closely watching the situation.
“This is horrifying, and this must not continue. We need to stand up against anti-Semitism.”
This attack follows the recent arrest of a man from Chicago in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington D.C.
A shooter opened fire on a group leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an organization that combats anti-Semitism and supports Israel.
The shooting intensified the polarization in the United States over the Gaza conflict between supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis shared on social media that it is “unfathomable that the Jewish community is once again facing a terror attack here in Boulder.”
