Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in the attack on a pro-Israel gathering in Colorado, has told police that he would do it again.
He has been charged with a federal hate crime and first-degree assault, among other crimes.
Who is Mohamed Sabry Soliman?
Mr Soliman, 45, is originally from Egypt. In 2022, he arrived in California on a non-immigrant visa that expired in February 2023, according to CBS News. He had been living in Colorado Springs.
An online CV under Mr Soliman’s name said he was employed by a Denver-area healthcare company working in accounting and inventory control, with prior employers listed as companies in Egypt. Under education, the resume listed Al Azhar University in Cairo.
Speaking to the Associated Press, neighbours said Mr Soliman had five children. According to court documents, Mr Soliman said he waited for his daughter to graduate before carrying out the attack.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a post on X that Mr Soliman “is illegally in our country”. She said that Mr Soliman sought asylum in September 2022, but did not share details about the status of his claim.
Who was the target of the attack?
The alleged target of the attack was a group of people gathered in central Boulder calling for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. About 60 people are still believed to be held by Hamas and other militant groups in the enclave after being kidnapped in October 2023 during attacks on southern Israel; only about a third of them are believed to still be alive.
Witnesses say Mr Soliman, armed with a makeshift flame-thrower and shouting "free Palestine", attacked the peaceful demonstration.
In video circulating online, Mr Soliman can be heard shouting at bystanders: “How many children have you killed?” and “end Zionists”. Authorities have said that Mr Soliman prepared for the attack for a year, and that given the opportunity, he would do it again.
Law enforcement found more than a dozen unlit Molotov cocktails near where Mr Soliman was arrested. Mr Soliman told investigators he constructed the home-made incendiary devices after doing research on YouTube and buying the ingredients, according to court documents.
He is being held on a $10 million bond and was due to appear in court on Monday.
