A man accused of killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others in a firebomb attack on Colorado demonstrators showing support for Israeli hostages in Gaza plans to plead guilty this week to state murder charges, according to court documents. Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection with the June 1 attack in downtown Boulder.
The attack unfolded at a pedestrian mall where roughly 20 participants were gathered. Investigators say Soliman, an Egyptian national living in the U.S. illegally per federal authorities, planned the assault for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people,” according to court filings. Soliman brought more than two dozen Molotov cocktails to the demonstration but threw only two while yelling, “Free Palestine!” Police said Soliman told them he got scared because he had never hurt anyone before.
The violence left 13 people physically injured, and state prosecutors have identified 29 total victims, including those nearby the blast zone. A dog was also injured, resulting in an animal cruelty charge against Soliman. An 82-year-old woman who sustained injuries in the attack later died from her wounds.
“It was a horrific attack,” Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer said by email, noting that the victims included some of her close friends and that she planned to attend Thursday’s court hearing to support their fight for justice. “Their lives were changed forever.”
Shannon Carbone with the 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the state case, commented on the district’s resolve. “From the very first day, our office has been committed to fighting for justice in this case,” Carbone wrote in an email. County Attorney Michael Dougherty is expected to address the case following Thursday’s hearing. Carbone declined to comment specifically on the intention to plead guilty due to court restrictions.
While Soliman moves to resolve state charges, he has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges related to the same incident. Prosecutors are considering whether to seek the death penalty in the federal case. Soliman’s attorneys stated last August that he offered to plead guilty to federal charges and would accept a life sentence, but federal officials have not yet decided on the offer. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office declined comment.
The federal defense presents a legal challenge to the hate crime designation. Federal prosecutors allege the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual connection to Israel. However, Soliman’s federal defense lawyers contend he should not have been charged with hate crimes. The defense argues that evidence shows Soliman was motivated by opposition to Zionism—the political movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel—rather than bias against a protected group. Under federal law, an attack motivated by opposition to a political ideology is not considered a hate crime.
Federal defenders described Soliman’s actions as “profoundly inconsistent” with his prior conduct and “came as a total shock to his family.” Before the attack, Soliman lived with his family in a Colorado Springs apartment and worked low-paying jobs after moving from Kuwait with his wife and five children in 2022. The couple divorced in April.
The fallout from the attack extends to Soliman’s family, who have faced federal scrutiny. His wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their children spent 10 months in immigration detention before U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio ordered their release in April. The release included conditions requiring El Gamal and her 18-year-old child to wear electronic monitoring, despite an immigration appeals court previously dismissing their case to remain in the U.S. and issuing a deportation order. Soliman’s attorneys have sought to block the deportation of the family until a judge determines their presence is not required for any court proceedings in the federal case.