Using an incendiary device and a makeshift flamethrower, authorities say a manattacked an event calling for the release of Israeli hostagesin Gaza at apedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado, leaving at least eight people injured in what the FBI is investigating as "an act of terrorism." The lone suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, Colorado, was taken into custody at the scene after witnesses pointed him out, authorities said. Officials have not released many details about Soliman. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said on X that Soliman entered the U.S. in August 2022 on a B-2 tourist visa that expired over two years ago. Multiple outlets said he is an Egyptian national, includingCBSandFox News, citing unnamed sources. Soliman was booked on multiple preliminary charges including first-degree murder and using explosives or an incendiary device while committing a felony,according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. Prosecutors are still weighting what charges to file against him. Police said Soliman was injured in the incident and taken to a hospital to be medically evaluated before being booked in the Boulder County jail. His bond has been set at $10 million,records show. Local law enforcement was dispatched Sunday at 1:26 p.m. to the outdoor Pearl Street Mall, where a man had launched an attack against a weekly, peaceful event advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza, according to the Boulder Police Department. Witnesses said the attacker used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd, said Mark Michalek, special agent in charge at the FBI's Denver field office. He said witnesses heard the suspect yell "free Palestine." Eight victims – four women and four men, ages 52 to 88 – were injured in the attack and brought to hospitals in the Denver metro area, according to the Boulder Police Department. "As a result of these preliminary attacks, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism," Michalek said. McLaughlin said Soliman's tourist visa expired in February 2023, six months after he arrived in the U.S. In general, B-2 visas are valid for six months and can be used for vacations, visiting relatives, medical treatment or participation in music, sports or events. TheState Department issuesmillions of B-1 and B-2 visas each year. B-1 visas are similar to B-2 and allow for nonimmigrants to visit for six months for conferences and business for six months. In addition, McLaughlin said Soliman applied for asylum in September 2022. That claim was likely still pending. As of March, the immigration court backlog was around3.6 million cases, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Milleron X described Soliman as an "illegal alien"and criticized the Biden administration, which he accused of approving a work permit for Soliman after he overstayed his tourist visa. FBI agents searched Soliman's home in El Paso County hours after he was named the suspect in the pedestrian mall attack. "The FBI is at a location in El Paso County, CO, conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity related to the attack on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder,"the agency's field office in Denver said on X. "As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time." The agency has not provided details about the search. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn at a news conference said authorities do not believe there are any additional suspects at large in connection with the attack. "We are not going to say that with absolute certainty, because we're still conducting a lot of interviews," he told reporters, adding, "We are fairly confident we have the lone suspect in custody." At the same news conference, Michalek said authorities have not found any link between the suspect and a greater criminal network or particular group. He added, however, that "this will be a thorough and complete investigation and those checks are ongoing." "We are early in the investigative process but both sides are working collaboratively and we'll see where the investigation goes," he said. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Doherty said he and his office will work with the U.S. attorney's office to determine what charges to file against Soliman. "There are a couple different options," he told reporters at a news conference. "But what I would stress now, most importantly, is that we are fully united – 100% – in making sure the charges we bring hold the attacker fully accountable." Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who is Mohamed Soliman? Suspect arrested in Colorado terror attack.
