An Egyptian man, Mohamed Soliman, pleaded guilty Thursday to a series of federal hate crime and weapons charges related to a deadly firebombing attack on demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, in June 2025. Soliman, who is already serving a life sentence plus hundreds of years on state charges connected to the attack, faces an additional federal sentence of life in prison plus 50 years.
The attack targeted a group of demonstrators marching in support of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Federal prosecutors asserted that Soliman’s motivation was rooted in bias against the demonstrators because they were Jewish. During the incident, Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails at the crowd, causing severe burns to several people and fatally injuring 82-year-old Karen Diamond. Diamond died three weeks after the attack, with her family describing her suffering as “indescribable pain.” In total, about a dozen people were physically injured in the attack, while authorities identified 29 individuals as victims due to the potential risk of injury.
Soliman, who was brought to court in handcuffs and shackles, spoke minimally through an interpreter, responding only with brief affirmations during the hearing. He reportedly yelled “Free Palestine” before launching the Molotov cocktails. Federal officials noted that Soliman had planned the attack for about a year and that after his arrest, he told police he intended “to kill all Zionist people,” referring to supporters of Israel as a Jewish state.
According to court records and federal authorities, Soliman entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2022, which expired in 2023. He subsequently filed for asylum and was temporarily granted work authorization, which also expired prior to the attack. At the time, he was living in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children; the couple divorced earlier in 2025. Prosecutors said Soliman worked a variety of low-paying jobs and presented himself as a gardener to blend in near the demonstration location on Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman emphasized Soliman’s use of explosives to cause serious harm and death. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of hate crimes, including one count related to Karen Diamond’s death and eight counts for attempted murder of other demonstrators, plus three counts related to weapons charges.
Judge John Kane, presiding over the federal case, said he would consider sentencing guidelines but had not determined whether to accept the prosecutors’ recommendation of life imprisonment plus 50 years. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 7.
The attack left many in Boulder, particularly within the local Jewish community, deeply unsettled. The targeted demonstration was organized by the group “Run for Their Lives,” which had been holding weekly events downtown. Authorities said Soliman had attempted to acquire firearms twice before his attack but was denied. Though he carried 18 Molotov cocktails in a box to the event, he only deployed two.
During earlier state court proceedings, Soliman expressed opposition to Israel but also stated that he knew and respected Jewish people, while questioning the casualties caused by Israeli actions in Gaza. Victims and community members remain dealing with the lasting impact of the attack and the legal process surrounding Soliman’s prosecution.