Six Injured in Molotov Cocktail Attack in Boulder, Under Investigation as Terrorism

Six people were injured on Sunday in a Molotov cocktail attack at a pedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado, with federal law enforcement officials confirming they are investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.

FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek announced that the suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was taken into custody following the assault. The suspect reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” as he attacked the crowd with a makeshift flamethrower.

Authorities have not yet announced formal charges but indicated they plan to hold Soliman “fully accountable.” The attack occurred amid heightened tensions surrounding the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has fueled a surge in antisemitic violence across the United States.

Video footage from the scene showed a witness shouting, “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails,” as a police officer, gun drawn, advanced toward the bare-chested suspect, who was seen holding containers in each hand. Injuries ranged from minor to serious. Soliman himself was injured and transported to a hospital, although officials have not disclosed details about his condition.

The incident comes just over a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, where the assailant yelled, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” as he was taken into custody.

FBI leadership in Washington confirmed that they are treating the Boulder attack as a terrorist act motivated by ideological reasons. The Justice Department, which investigates violence stemming from religious, racial, or ethnic motivations, condemned the attack as a “needless act of violence” that follows recent assaults targeting Jewish Americans.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that authorities will “speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it.” The attack underscores the rising concern over ideologically motivated violence linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict and its ripple effects within the United States.