Police said they responded to calls ’that people were being set on fire,’ and the state attorney general described it as a hate crime.
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‘FBI Director Kash Patel said the incident is being investigated as a ‘targeted terror attack.’
We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available. @FBI
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 1, 2025
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The FBI has named the suspect in a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who allegedly used a flamethrower and an incendiary device to target pro-Israel protestors in downtown Boulder on Sunday.
An FBI spokesperson said at a press conference, “This attack happened at a regularly scheduled weekly peaceful event,” referring to a demonstration by the group “Run for Their Lives,” which pushes for the release of hostages still held by the Hamas terrorist group.
The spokesperson said the suspect “used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd,” and was heard to yell “Free Palestine” during the attack.
“As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,” the spokesperson said.
Six victims, aged 67 to 88, have been hospitalized. Several blocks in downtown Boulder remain closed off and are being swept by bomb squads and K-9 units, local authorities said.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser described the attack as a hate crime.
“People may have differing views about world events and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but violence is never the answer to settling differences,” Weiser said. “We all have the right to peaceably assemble and the freedom to speak our views. But these violent acts—which are becoming more frequent, brazen and closer to home—must stop and those who commit these horrific acts must be fully held to account.”
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn told reporters during a press conference that at about 1:26 p.m. local time, calls began to come in “indicating that there was a man with a weapon and that people were being set on fire.”
“When we arrived, we encountered multiple victims that were injured, with injuries consistent with burns and other injuries,” he said.
Redfearn indicated that multiple people at the scene pointed out the suspect to officers and that the suspect was taken to the hospital “with some minor injuries as well.”
Following the attack, Boulder Police initially closed down a roughly five-block-by-four-block area in downtown Boulder. The evacuation area has since been expanded.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn’s name. We regret the error.
By Joseph Lord
