A man accused of a fatal firebomb attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in downtown Boulder is expected to change his plea this week, moving his case toward a resolution in state court even as he faces separate proceedings in federal court.
Court documents say Mohamed Sabry Soliman plans to plead guilty this week to murder and other charges tied to the June 1 attack. The filings were submitted by his attorneys in a related federal case, according to the report.
The attack occurred during a demonstration in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, where prosecutors say Soliman targeted people because of their perceived or actual connection to Israel. His federal defense attorneys have argued that the case should not proceed as a hate-crime prosecution and have disputed how his motive fits the federal charges.
Before the June 1 attack, Soliman had been living with his family in a two-bedroom apartment in Colorado Springs, where he worked a series of low-paying jobs after moving to the U.S. from Kuwait in 2022, according to his attorneys. The couple divorced in April, the filings said. Investigators told authorities he intended to kill about 20 participants at the weekly demonstration, and prosecutors said he threw two Molotov cocktails as he yelled “Free Palestine!” while shouting during the assault.
Soliman faces dozens of state charges in Colorado, including murder and attempted murder. A dozen others were injured, and an 82-year-old woman injured in the attack later died, according to the court documents. Investigators also said a dog was injured, and prosecutors have charged Soliman with animal cruelty, the filings show.
Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer said the victims included some of her close friends, and she planned to attend Thursday’s court hearing to support what she described as the victims’ fight for justice. Winer said, “It was a horrific attack,” adding that “Their lives were changed forever,” in an email.
In the federal case, Soliman has pleaded not guilty to hate-crime charges. His attorneys said prosecutors were considering whether to seek the death sentence, and they said Soliman had offered last August to plead guilty to the federal charges while accepting a life prison sentence. They said federal officials had not yet decided on that offer, and a U.S. attorney’s office spokesperson declined to comment.
State prosecutors declined to address Soliman’s intention to plead guilty, citing restrictions on public comments by prosecutors. Shannon Carbone of the 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office wrote by email that “From the very first day, our office has been committed to fighting for justice in this case,” and said County Attorney Michael Dougherty will address the case after Thursday’s hearing.
The documents also describe immigration-related proceedings involving Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their children. His attorneys said the family spent 10 months in immigration detention until a federal judge in Texas ordered their release in April. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio allowed their release on conditions that El Gamal and the oldest child, who is 18, wear electronic monitoring, according to the filings, which also said an immigration appeals court had dismissed their case to stay in the U.S. and issued a deportation order.
Soliman’s attorneys have sought to block the deportation of El Gamal and the children until a judge determines they won’t need to be present for any proceedings in Soliman’s federal case.