Key Points Summary – Holocaust Survivor
- Holocaust survivor among 8 injured in Molotov attack at pro-Israel rally
- Suspect Mohamed Soliman hurled firebombs at peaceful marchers
- Victims include an 88-year-old woman and a college professor
- Eyewitnesses say suspect screamed anti-Israel slurs during attack
- Boulder police arrested Soliman at the chaotic scene
- Victims lay beside Israeli flags as bystanders poured water on burns
- FBI, Colorado officials call the assault a targeted hate crime
Hate Hits Downtown Boulder
Boulder, Colorado turned into a nightmare Sunday. A peaceful pro-Israel rally was rocked by a terror attack. A Holocaust survivor, now 88, was among the injured. She had fled Europe during Hitler’s reign. On this sunny afternoon, fire rained down once more.
Witnesses say Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, stormed the Pearl Street Mall. He hurled flaming bottles at marchers. Eight people were hit. One burst into flames.
Screams, Fire, and Chaos
The walk, organized by Jewish group Run For Their Lives, honored Israeli hostages from the October 7 Hamas attack. But it ended in chaos.
Witnesses say Soliman screamed anti-Israel rants while throwing firebombs. Police and FBI agents swarmed the scene. By then, victims were on the ground. Some motionless. Others burning.
The Survivor And The Professor
Rabbi Israel Wilhelm confirmed the elderly woman burned was a Holocaust survivor. Filmmaker Lisa Effress also knew her.
“She’s a loving person,” Effress said. “Seeing her loaded into an ambulance was horrifying.”
A University of Colorado professor was also injured. Police haven’t named victims, but said they ranged in age from 52 to 88.
Pearl Street Panic
Street performer Peter Irish saw the aftermath. “It was chaos,” he said. “People writhing on the ground. Burned. Screaming.”
Others poured water from restaurants onto burns. One man ran for a fountain bucket to help extinguish flames.
Victims Targeted For Marching
The group had marched every Sunday since October. They sang, told stories, and read hostage names. On this day, about 30 were present. They weren’t protesting. They were remembering.
Ed Victor, who marched, said the suspect emerged quietly. Then suddenly, flames erupted. “It was like a gas bomb,” he recalled. “One woman caught fire. A fellow marcher tried to save her.”
Arrest Amid The Smoke
Police moved fast. They arrested Soliman on the spot. Shirtless, holding bottles, he shouted obscenities: “F*** you, Zionist!” and “You deserve to die!”
He was tackled near the burning ground. Victims lay nearby, wrapped in emergency blankets.
Terror Declared
FBI Director Kash Patel called it a “terror attack.” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser labeled it a hate crime.
Images from the scene show stretchers, ambulances, and scorched pavement. Blackened bottle shards littered the plaza.
National Tensions Mount
The Boulder attack comes amid rising antisemitism. Just last week, a man shot two Israeli embassy staffers in D.C. The shooter yelled, “Free Palestine!” as police took him down.
Victims Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, had been planning a future together. That hope was cut short.
A Dangerous Climate
Jewish leaders blame a surge in anti-Israel rhetoric for fueling violence. “This was no accident,” said Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO Jim Berk. “Hate speech has turned deadly.”
Sunday marked the start of Shavuot, a sacred Jewish holiday. Instead of peace, fire and terror struck a quiet American city.
Calls For Action
Jewish communities are demanding stronger protection. “Being Jewish in America should not mean being a target,” Berk added.
The attack left Boulder shaken. But the message was clear: hate won’t silence them.
This story is developing. Authorities are urging anyone with footage to come forward.
