THE shirtless flamethrowing and firebomb “terrorist”; Mohamed Sabry Soliman has been described as an “illegal alien”; by a White House official.
The illegally overstayed his visa before being issued a new work permit in the US, federal officials said.
Around 30 peaceful demonstrators had gathered for a Run for Their Lives march, calling for the release of all of the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza.
Four women and four men aged 52 to 88 were injured in the attack and taken to hospital, Boulder cops said.
The condition of those wounded range from minor to “very serious,”; with at least one of the victims in critical condition.
The suspect was heard to have yelled “Free Palestine”; during the attack, according to FBI’s special agent Mark Michalek.
He was named as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman.
The alleged attacker has been described as an “illegal alien”; by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
The Egyptian national is said to have illegally overstayed his visa before being issued a new work permit in the US.
According to Fox News, Soliman first arrived in the US in August 2022 with a non-immigrant visa before being authorised to stay through to February 2023 but didn’t leave.
In September 2022, he filed a claim with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services which then granted him work authorisation in March 2023 which remained valid through March this year.
Soliman was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated following the attack, but authorities didn’t elaborate on the nature of his injuries.
Deputy Chief of Staff Miller wrote on X before calling Soliman an “illegal alien”;: “The Biden Admin granted the alien a visa and then, when he illegally overstayed, they gave him a work permit.
“Immigration security is national security.
“No more hostile migration. Keep them out and send them back.”;
And Texan Congressman Brandon Gill claimed that the Biden administration allowed Soliman to enter the US on the B1/B2 visa program.
Gill wrote: “He overstayed his visa so Biden awarded him with a work permit.
“He then overstayed his work permit, before brutally attacking American Jews.”;
No charges were immediately announced but officials said they expect to hold him fully accountable.
Soliman was reportedly booked in the county jail before midnight on Sunday on multiple felony charges, online jail records reveal.
According to FBI deputy director , the attack is being investigated as an act of “ideologically motivated violence”; based on various early information.
But a source told CNN that Soliman may have suffered mental health issues.
They said: “He’s shirtless, screaming, used rudimentary devices, and stuck around to be arrested.”;
The FBI has recently been focusing on foreign-inspired extremists who may look to use high-powered weapons of various kinds to cause mass casualty incidents.
On the other hand, the alleged attacker used Molotov cocktails which can be made with easily-obtained materials, suggesting he may not fit the profile of a terrorist looking to cause large-scale casualties, the source added.
One of the victims injured in the attack, an 88-year-old, is a Holocaust survivor, the Chabad director at University of Colorado Boulder told CBS.
Video from the scene showed a witness shouting, “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails,”; as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on a bare-chested suspect with containers in each hand.
Images show one victim being taken away on a stretcher by medics as shocked onlookers watch on.
Officers responded as quickly as they could once being alerted of the carnage at around 1.26pm local time on Sunday.
Mass evacuations were quickly ordered near to thecrimescene on 13th and Pearl Street.
Video circulating on social media showed multiple fires burning on the grassy areas around the outdoor mall as huge plumes of smoke billow into the air.
Several people can also be seen lyingmotionless on the ground as bystanderspour water on their apparent burns.
Screams can be heard in the background of the short clips.
FBIDirector Kash Patel posted on social media: “Our agents and locallawenforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.”;
Mr Patel also described it as a terror attack.
ColoradoGovernor Jared Polis said that “hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable”;.
A joint statement from Boulder’s Jewish community read: “We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that an incendiary device was thrown at walkers at the Run for Their Lives walk on Pearl Street.
“We don’t have all the details of what is unfolding, and we promise to keep our community informed.
“Ourheartsgo out to those who witnessed this horrible attack, and prayers for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.”;
Boulder is a popular university city northwest ofDenverwith around 105,000 residents.
The city’s cops say they plan on stepping up security at Jewish events in the next coming days.
Boulder County Historic Courthouse, close to the scene of the attack, is to remain closed on Monday.
