Who is Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in Colorado ‘terror attack’?
The suspect is believed to be a 45-year-old Egyptian national who entered the US in August 2022 and has stayed back illegally after the expiry of his visa
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified Mohamed Sabry Soliman as a suspect in the “targeted terror attack” in Boulder, Colorado in the US on Sunday (June 1).
The 45-year-old man attacked with Molotov cocktails a group that had assembled for a peaceful demonstration to draw attention to the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Who is Soliman?
Mohamed Sabry Soliman is reportedly an Egyptian national, according to a Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin.
Soliman allegedly landed in the Los Angeles International Airport on August 27, 2022 on a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa, posted Melugin on X. The visa was valid till February 26, 2023, but the Egyptian overstayed and remained in the United States illegally.
Also Read: Colorado: Man yells ‘free Palestine’, attacks group with ‘Molotov cocktail’; 6 hurt
“Three senior DHS sources tell Fox News that the Boulder terror suspect is an Egyptian national in the US illegally as a visa overstay who entered the US during the Biden administration,” wrote Melugin on X.
Melugin continued in his post that Soliman filed some sort of claim with USCIS, potentially an asylum claim, and that the USCIS gave him work authorisation on March 29, 2023, which expired on March 28, 2025.
What was he doing in the US?
According to unverified social media reports, Soliman worked as an accountant at a company called Veros Health.
This information has been garnered from screenshots allegedly taken from his LinkedIn profile, which has now been deleted.
The attack
A video from the scene shows a witness shouting, “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails.” The video shows a police officer, with his gun drawn, advancing towards a bare-chested man holding containers in each hand.
In other videos circulating on social media, Soliman is heard shouting, “How many children you killed,” “We have to end Zionists,”, and “They are killers”. Other eyewitnesses reported hearing the suspect shout “Free Palestine”.
Also Read: US: Several injured in what FBI calls ‘targeted terror attack’ in Colorado
Several people were injured in the attack.
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfern told reporters that when the police arrived on the scene, they encountered multiple victims that were injured, “with injuries consistent with burns and other injuries”.
Soliman was handcuffed by the police and taken into custody.
‘Targeted terror attack’: FBI chief Kash Patel
FBI Director Kash Patel said they were investigating the “targeted terror attack” in Boulder, Colorado.
“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.”
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Steve Redfern said he did not believe anyone else was involved, and they were fairly confident that they had the lone suspect in custody.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it appeared to be a hate crime “given the group that was targeted”.
Israel’s ambassador to UN condemns attack
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations condemned the attack saying, “Terrorism against Jews does not stop at the Gaza border – it is already burning the streets of America. Today, in Boulder, Colorado, Jewish people marched with a moral and humane demand: to return the hostages. In response, the Jewish protesters were brutally attacked, with an attacker throwing Molotov cocktails at them. Make no mistake – this is not a political protest, this is terrorism.”