Summary

  • A man arrested over a "suspected act of terrorism" in Boulder, Colorado, has appeared in court to face 16 state counts of attempted murder, two counts of the use of incendiary device and 16 counts of attempted use of an incendiary device

  • Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman has also been charged with a federal hate crime

  • Twelve people were injured after a man shouted "free Palestine" and started "setting people on fire", officials say. The suspect plotted the attack for a year, the FBI says

  • Video footage shows people trying to help those injured in Sunday's attack

  • US President Donald Trump vows to prosecute the attacker "to the fullest extent of the law"

Media caption,

Witness: Boulder attacker set himself on fire throwing Molotov cocktail

  1. Total number of victims is now 12published at 21:55 British Summer Time 2 June
    Breaking

    District Attorney Dougherty says that officials have identified an additional four victims, making for 12 victims total.

    The formal charges filed against Soliman will reflect those 12, he adds.

  2. Soliman could be sentenced to more than 600 years if convicted of state chargespublished at 21:54 British Summer Time 2 June

    Dougherty goes on to explain the charges filed, and the possible sentences Soliman faces if convicted.

    • 16 counts of attempted murder in the first degree, eight of which are with intent, the other eight are with "extreme indifference". If convicted for all of the charges, he would face a maximum of 384 years in state prison
    • Two counts of use of incendiary device, the maximum sentence being 48 years if convicted
    • 16 counts of attempted use of incendiary device, if convicted the maximum sentence would be 192 years

    The judge has set a $10 million cash only bond, Dougherty adds.

    Media caption,

    State charges read out for suspect in Boulder attack

  3. Both state and federal governments will be prosecuting Solimanpublished at 21:52 British Summer Time 2 June

    The US attorney's office will be prosecuting the hate crime charges and the attempted murder and other charges will happen at the state level, Dougherty says.

    That will allow the government to hold the suspect "fully acountable" Dougherty says.

  4. More unused Molotov cocktails were found than previously reportedpublished at 21:50 British Summer Time 2 June

    District Attorney Dougherty tells the news conference that there was 16 unused Molotov cocktails recovered by law enforcement, a slight increase from the 14 previously reported.

    The rapid response of the Molotov cocktails "speaks for itself," he says.

  5. Boulder DA pledges to make sure justice is donepublished at 21:49 British Summer Time 2 June

    District Attorney Dougherty says the people hurt in the attack were participating in a peaceful march when they were then subjected to violence.

    "We're going to make sure justice is done," Dougherty says.

  6. Boulder district attorney says community united in responding to attackpublished at 21:47 British Summer Time 2 June

    Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty is speaking now.

    He says the community is standing "shoulder to shoulder" and ensuring "justice is done".

    Dougherty says they're united against hate, terror and violence, and in condemning acts of anti-semitism.

    They're united in a strong response, he adds.

  7. Suspect allegedly used Molotov cocktails because could not legally get a gunpublished at 21:46 British Summer Time 2 June

    Soliman attempted to acquire a gun to commit his crime, Grewell says, but because he is not a legal citizen he allegedly resorted to using Molotov cocktails.

    "We fully intended to hold Mr Soliman accountable for this actions, and these charges are the first step," Grewell said.

  8. Soliman allegedly was motivated by hate of the 'Zionist' grouppublished at 21:45 British Summer Time 2 June

    Grewell goes on to say that no one should be subjected to violence, but says violence is "particularly pernicious" when it targets someone's race, religion or national origin.

    He adds that Soliman had allegedly been planning the attack for a year and acted because he hated what he calls the "Zionist" group.

    The suspect allegedly threw Molotov cocktails, Grewell also says.

  9. US government charges Soliman with hate crimepublished at 21:42 British Summer Time 2 June
    Breaking

    Mohamed Soliman has been charged with commission of a hate crime, Grewell says.

    Because of the attempted murder aspect, Soliman will face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

  10. US Attorney opens by saying authorities are taking actionpublished at 21:41 British Summer Time 2 June

    Acting US Attorney for the district of Colorado, J. Bishop Grewell, is speaking now.

    He begins by thanking authorities and telling the news conference that they are "taking action".

    Grewell expresses his "heartbreak and support" for the victims and the community of Boulder.

  11. News conference beginningpublished at 21:36 British Summer Time 2 June

    We are about to hear from authorities at a city of Boulder news conference. You can watch live above.

  12. What the FBI affidavit tells us about the alleged attackerpublished at 21:30 British Summer Time 2 June

    As we've been reporting, an FBI affidavit on suspect Mohamed Soliman's criminal charges has revealed several new things about the alleged attacker's plan. We've reviewed the document, and can tell you what we've learned:

    • Soliman had allegedly been planning this attack for around a year. The document says he told the FBI he had been waiting for his daughter's graduation before carrying his plan. He arrived in the area on Sunday and waited for the Run for Their Live group.
    • After his arrest, Soliman told police that "Zionists" were his target and that he would do it again, the document says.
    • The suspect allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails, but he had an additional 14 waiting nearby, along with a backpack of gasoline.
    • In his car, police saw documents that referenced Israel, Palestine, and the US international development government agency USAID.
    • Soliman left messages for his family on a hidden iPhone in his house, law enforcement says. His wife later took the phone to the police.

  13. UN condemns 'horrific violent attack'published at 21:15 British Summer Time 2 June

    Guterres speaking in front of a UN flagImage source, EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

    Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, says the UN condemns the "horrific violent attack" in Boulder, Colorado.

    During the secretary-general's daily briefing, his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says Guterres is calling for "swift action to hold those responsible accountable".

    "The United Nations firmly stands against all forms of antisemitism, as well as all other manifestations of extremism and any incitement to religious hatred and violence," the spokesperson says.

    The spokesperson was responding to questions on "acts of antisemitism," his statement explains.

  14. Suspect ‘was waiting until after his daughter graduated’published at 20:49 British Summer Time 2 June

    Let's turn back to the FBI affidavit, which has given us some more details about the suspect in the attack and his family.

    Mohamed Soliman’s daughter was recently awarded a scholarship by a local newspaper in Colorado Springs.

    A profile printed by the paper noted that she “was born in Egypt but lived in Kuwait for 14 years” and relocated to the US two years ago.

    The Gazette newspaper also reported: “When she was young her father underwent a difficult surgery that restored his ability to walk.”

    Other details given in the article match up with information in the affidavit. According to the FBI, suspect Mohamed Soliman “stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack.”

    His daughter’s graduation ceremony occurred just a few days ago.

  15. Suspect's hearing delayedpublished at 20:35 British Summer Time 2 June

    We've just heard from court officials that the suspect, Mohamed Soliman's hearing has been pushed back, and will now take place in two hours' time to 15:30 local time (21:30 GMT)

    We still expect to hear from the Boulder District Attorney’s office in an hour.

  16. What is a Molotov cocktail, the weapon allegedly used by the Colorado suspect?published at 20:27 British Summer Time 2 June

    We've just reported that, according to the FBI, Mohamed Soliman had at least 14 Molotov cocktails with him at the time of his arrest.

    In the footage below, the suspect appears to be holding Molotov cocktails in each hand. So what are they?

    A Molotov cocktail is a type of weapon, typically consisting of a bottle filled with flammable liquid and a wick, which is ignited before users throw the whole apparatus at their target.

    They are relatively easy to make, and their name was coined in Finland in a satirical reference to Vyacheslav Molotov, the foreign minister of the Soviet Union during and after World War II.

    Media caption,

    Watch: Eyewitness captures video of Colorado attack scene

  17. Suspect was most recently an Uber driverpublished at 20:17 British Summer Time 2 June

    Suspect Mohamed Soliman's most recent job was as an Uber driver, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports.

    An Uber spokesperson told CBS that Soliman started as a food courier in 2023, and he met all background check requirements - including having a valid social security number.

    When he started driving passengers "about nine months ago", he passed another background check, which required a valid social security number, a clear criminal and driving history, and photo ID.

    Soliman “had no concerning feedback while driving on the platform", but has now been terminated, the spokesperson said.

    His previous employer, Veros Health, told CBS that when Soliman was hired, he had a work visa that expired in March 2025.

  18. 'We will never tolerate this kind of hatred' - US attorney generalpublished at 19:58 British Summer Time 2 June

    US Attorney General Pam BondiImage source, Reuters

    We can now bring you the latest reaction from senior US Justice Department officials after federal prosecutors filed a hate crime charge against Colorado attack suspect Mohamed Soliman.

    Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, in charge of the Civil Rights Division of the DoJ, said:

    "No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation."

    Attorney General Pam Bondi linked yesterday's attack to last month's fatal shooting outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC.

    "This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC," she said. "We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe."

    • As a reminder, the FBI has filed a criminal complaint asking that Soliman be charged with a hate crime offense involving the actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.
  19. Suspect left hidden messages for family, FBI sayspublished at 19:38 British Summer Time 2 June

    We can bring you some more information from a court document released by the FBI this afternoon.

    Special agent Jessica Krueger says in the document that the alleged attacker, Mohamed Soliman, had hidden an iPhone at his house before the attack, leaving messages on it addressed to his family.

    He had also left a journal inside his home in Colorado Springs, the document states, where he lives with his wife and five children.

    After Soliman's arrest, the FBI says his wife took an iPhone - which she told them belonged to Soliman and was used by other family members - to the Colorado Springs Police Office.

  20. White House says antisemitic violence 'will not be tolerated'published at 19:17 British Summer Time 2 June

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    Reporting from the White House

    Karoline Leavitt at the WHImage source, Reuters

    Just a short while ago, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke briefly to reporters here at the White House - where she quickly took the opportunity to give the administration's view on the attack in Boulder.

    Leavitt said the attack - along with the recent murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington DC - is "unacceptable" to President Trump.

    "Rest assured to all Jewish Americans across our great country, this president has your back," she said. "He’s not going to allow anyone to take part in violent terrorism in our county.”

    Echoing other administration officials who have commented on the attack so far, she partly placed the blame on what the White House has characterised as lax immigration policies under Joe Biden.

    "We know that this individual, this terrorist, was allowed into this country by the previous administration, was foolishly given a tourism visa and illegally allowed to stay," she added. "These individuals are going to be deported and we’re not going to tolerate such violence in our country.”

    We're unlikely to hear from President Trump directly today - although he commented on Truth Social earlier - as he has no public events on his schedule.