Man Shouting 'Free Palestine' Firebombs Jewish Gathering In Colorado; Several Injured

Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 08:42 IST

The FBI said it was investigating the incident as an act of terrorism, adding that the suspect yelled "Free Palestine" before throwing makeshift flamethrower on a group of people.

Colorado terror attack: FBI investigating case as act of terrorism (Photos: Reuters, X)

At least six people were injured in an attack in Boulder, Colorado, US, on Sunday (local time), which the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism, officials said.

The suspect of the “targeted terror attack" yelled “Free Palestine" and used a makeshift flamethrower at a popular pedestrian mall in Boulder, where a group of Jewish protesters were calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. He was identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, who was taken into custody.

The attack on the Jewish protesters comes as the latest in a series of antisemitic violence against the community amid the Israel-Hamas war. The incident comes days after two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot dead outside Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC.

FBI Director Kash Patel On ‘Targeted Terror Attack’

Some people were seriously injured in the attack, while some others sustained minor wounds.

“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 Director Kash Patel posted on X.

Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dan Bongino, said that the attack is being probed as an act of “ideologically motivated violence" on the basis of preliminary information, evidence, and witness accounts.

Eyewitnesses Account

According to the witnesses, a man threw an object similar to a homemade Molotov cocktail at the protesters who were peacefully demanding the release of Israeli hostages who have been held captive by Hamas, a group which is designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

The videos surfacing from the spot of the attack showed people in panic as they ran to safety.

Visuals from the crime scene showed a shirtless man spreading his arms with spray bottles in his hand, walking back and forth as fire burned on the grass. He is heard yelling anti-Israel slogans like “End Zionists", “Palestine is free", and “They are killers".

“Initial callers indicated that there was a man with a weapon and that people were being set on fire. When we arrived, we encountered multiple victims who were injured, with injuries consistent with burns and other injuries," Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters.

Israeli ambassador to the UN in New York condemned the attack, “Terrorism against Jews does not stop at the Gaza border — it is already burning the streets of America."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that terror has no place in the United States.

“We’re united in prayer for the victims of a targeted terror attack this afternoon in Boulder. Terror has no place in our great country," he said on X.

Indian MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party MP to several countries as part of India’s global outreach to expose Pakistan on terrorism, said that he agrees with  Rubio’s view that “terror has no place in our countries".

“Members of the Indian MPs’ delegation learned with concern about the terror attack in Boulder, Colorado today. We are relieved there was no loss of life. We all share Secy of State @SecRubio’s view that “terror has no place" in our countries," Tharoor posted on X.

Antisemitic Violence In Recent Times

Antisemitic violence has risen since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war after the October 7, 2023, attack.

The last such incident was reported in May this year, when two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot dead in Washington DC.

In 2024, the U.S. recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents, the highest annual total since tracking began in 1980

In France, several sites linked to Jews, including the Memorial for Holocaust victims, were defaced. Shoah Memorial, two synagogues and a Jewish restaurant in the city’s historic Marais district, as well as a third synagogue in the 20th arrondissement (district), were defaced.

United States of America (USA)

News world Man Shouting 'Free Palestine' Throws Firebomb At Jewish Event In Colorado, Several Injured