Who Is Mohamed Soliman? Suspect in Deadly Boulder Molotov Attack to Plead Guilty

A man accused of carrying out a firebomb attack during a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder in 2025, an attack that killed an 82-year-old woman and injured several others, is expected to plead guilty to murder and other charges.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who was charged after the June 1, 2025, attack, could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to The Associated Press. He is scheduled to appear before District Judge Nancy Salomone on May 7.

Soliman also faces a federal hate crime charge in addition to multiple state charges, including murder and attempted murder.

His attorneys disclosed in a recent court filing tied to the federal case that he intends to plead guilty. While Soliman has pleaded not guilty to the federal hate crime charge, prosecutors are still weighing whether to seek the death penalty in that case.

Soliman initially pleaded not guilty in state court to murder and dozens of attempted murder and assault charges stemming from the June 1 attack near the Boulder courthouse during a pro-Israel gathering.

According to court documents, Soliman yelled “Free Palestine!” before throwing two lit Molotov cocktails into the crowd, injuring eight people. One of the victims, 82-year-old Karen Diamond, later died from her injuries on June 25.

After Soliman was detained, authorities allegedly discovered a black plastic container with a yellow top that held at least 14 unlit Molotov cocktails made from glass wine carafes and Ball jars filled with gasoline and stuffed with red cloth rags, court records state.

Investigators also recovered a backpack weed sprayer containing a flammable liquid. Authorities said testing determined the liquid inside the bottles and sprayer was 87-octane gasoline containing xylene.

Paperwork containing the words “Israel,” “Palestine,” and “USAID” was also allegedly found inside Soliman’s vehicle.

During an interrogation, Soliman allegedly told investigators that he “wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” according to court documents.

He also allegedly said he would carry out the attack again and admitted he specifically targeted the pro-Israel group after learning about the gathering online. Investigators said Soliman told them he had been planning the attack for a year and waited until after his daughter graduated before carrying it out.

The Department of Homeland Security previously stated that Soliman was living in the United States illegally on an expired visa along with his wife and five children. Authorities said he had been living with his family in Colorado Springs at the time of the attack.

Soliman’s attorneys have argued that the federal hate crime charge is inappropriate because they claim he was motivated by opposition to Zionism — the political movement supporting the establishment and protection of a Jewish state in Israel — rather than by religious or ethnic hatred.

Under federal law, crimes motivated solely by political beliefs are generally not classified as hate crimes.

Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer said several of the victims were close friends and pledged support for them as the case moves forward.

“It was a horrific attack. Their lives were changed forever,” she said in an email statement to the AP.