Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Man to Plead Guilty in Colorado Firebombing Attack on Pro-Israel Demonstrators

Man to Plead Guilty in Colorado Firebombing Attack on Pro-Israel Demonstrators

A man accused of killing one person and injuring a dozen more in a firebomb attack plans to plead guilty.
FORT COLLINS, Colorado: A man accused of killing one person and injuring a dozen more in a firebomb attack on Colorado demonstrators showing support for Israeli hostages in Gaza plans to plead guilty this week, according to court documents.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if a state judge accepts his guilty plea in the June 1 attack in downtown Boulder, according to the documents filed by his attorneys on Sunday in a related federal case.

Soliman had previously pleaded not guilty after he was accused of throwing two Molotov cocktails during the demonstration at a pedestrian mall.

An 82-year-old woman who was injured in the attack later died.

A dozen others were also injured.

Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the US illegally.

Investigators say he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people.' Soliman faces dozens of state charges including murder and attempted murder.

He has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges.

Prosecutors are considering whether to seek the death sentence in that case, according to his attorneys.

Soliman's attorneys said he offered last August to plead guilty to the federal charges and would accept a sentence of life in prison.

The Associated Press left voicemail messages for Soliman's attorneys in both cases.

His federal defenders said in Sunday's court filing that the attack 'was profoundly inconsistent' with Soliman's prior conduct and 'came as a total shock to his family.' Before the attack, Soliman had been living with his family in a two-bedroom apartment in Colorado Springs.

He had worked in a series of low-paying jobs since moving to the US from Kuwait in 2022 with his wife and their five children, according to his attorneys.

The couple divorced in April, his attorneys said.

Shannon Carbone with the 20th Judicial District Attorney's Office, which is prosecuting the state case, declined to comment on Soliman's intention to plead guilty, citing court restrictions on public comments by prosecutors.

'From the very first day, our office has been committed to fighting for justice in this case,' Carbone wrote in an email, adding that County Attorney Michael Dougherty will address the case following Thursday's hearing.

Investigators say Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration at Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall.

But he threw just two of more than two dozen Molotov cocktails he had with him while yelling, 'Free Palestine!' Police said he told them he got scared because he had never hurt anyone before.

Federal prosecutors allege the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual connection to Israel.

But Soliman's federal defense lawyers say he should not have been charged with hate crimes because the evidence shows he was motivated by opposition to Zionism, the political movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel.

An attack motivated by someone's political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.

State prosecutors have identified 29 victims in the attack.

Thirteen were physically injured, and the others were nearby and are considered victims because they could have been hurt.

A dog was also injured in the attack, and Soliman has been charged with animal cruelty.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Russian Oligarch’s Superyacht Crosses Hormuz via Iran-Controlled Route
Crypto Scammers Capitalize on Maritime Chaos Near the Strait of Hormuz: A Rising Threat to Shipping Companies
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Strategic Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Security Concerns as Trump Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Keeps Red Sea Oil Exports Flowing Despite Regional Tensions
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
Saudi Business Leader Abudawood Appointed Chairman of Merit Incentives Group
TotalEnergies Confirms Damage at Saudi Refinery Following Security Incident
Saudi Arabia Launches Early Construction Phase for King Salman Stadium Project
Saudi Shift Away from Longstanding Dollar Oil Framework Gains Attention Amid Iran Conflict
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Resolve Long-Running Transit Visa Dispute
Saudi Oil Capacity and Pipeline Flows Reduced as Supply Risks Intensify
TotalEnergies Reports Damage to Saudi SATORP Refinery Following Security Incidents
Gulf States Assess Prospects of U.S.-Iran Truce as Regional Stability Efforts Intensify
South Korea Resumes Honey Exports to Saudi Arabia Following Sanitary Approval
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Sentences in Eastern Province Following Security Convictions
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs King Street’s Regional Credit Strategy
Saudi Arabia Secures World Cup Return as Egypt Celebrates Landmark Qualification
Iran and Saudi Arabia Intensify Diplomatic Engagement Amid Regional Tensions
Russia and Saudi Arabia Open Visa-Free Travel Corridor for Citizens
Saudi Oil Output Capacity Reduced by 600,000 Barrels Per Day Amid Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Suspends Operations at Select Energy Sites as Precautionary Measure
Saudi Arabia Halts Operations at Multiple Energy Facilities Amid Heightened Tensions
Global Markets Jolt as Iran Signals Ceasefire Breakdown and Rising Regional Tensions
King Street Aligns with Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Expand Alternative Investments in Middle East
Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Hub Raises Global Supply Concerns
Debate Emerges Over Saudi Strategic Decisions as Gulf Cooperation Council Dynamics Come Into Focus
Saudi Arabia Expands Full Workforce Localisation to 69 Professions in Major Labour Reform
Emerging Alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Signals New Regional Power Dynamic Amid Iran Conflict
Iran Linked to Strikes Across Gulf States Following Refinery Attack Escalation
Saudi Arabia Voices Concern Over Fragile US–Iran Ceasefire Stability
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
Saudi Arabia’s Key East-West Oil Pipeline Targeted Following Ceasefire Announcement
Iran Targets Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
×