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Boulder Firebombing Suspect Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Hate Crime Charges

The plea kicks off proceedings against Soliman on 12 federal hate crime counts for the June 1 firebomb attack on pro-Israel demonstrators

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A woman places flowers at a makeshift memorial for victims of an attack outside of the Boulder County Courthouse Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
Connor Russell sits on the grass next to flowers and a flag that have been left on fencing next to the scene of Sunday’s attack on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on Monday, June  2, 2025. Russell, a Boulder resident, said he came to the site to help him process what happened. “I have been having a hard time understanding how this happened here,” he said. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Overview

  • On June 27, Mohamed Sabry Soliman entered a not guilty plea in Denver federal court to all 12 hate crime and explosives counts alleging he used Molotov cocktails in the attack
  • The indictment includes nine violations of 18 U.S.C. § 249 and three counts under 18 U.S.C. § 844(h) for using fire or explosive devices to commit a felony
  • Prosecutors say Soliman targeted participants of Run for Their Lives after identifying them as Zionists by their flags and signs and shouting “Free Palestine” as he threw two Molotov cocktails
  • Investigators recovered a handwritten note in Soliman’s vehicle describing Israel as a “cancer entity” and declaring Zionism an enemy until Jerusalem is liberated
  • An Egyptian national living in the U.S. illegally, Soliman had plotted a mass shooting for over a year but switched to firebombs when a background check blocked his gun purchase