A man who threw Molotov cocktails at a group of Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, killing 1 woman and injuring 7 others, has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and explosives charges.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 47, an Egyptian national, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a hate crime resulting in death, 8 additional hate crime charges and 3 explosives charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced.
The attack happened on June 1, 2025, when Soliman threw 2 lit Molotov cocktails at members of the Boulder chapter of Run for Their Lives, a group that organized walks to raise awareness for hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
The group was gathered outside the historic Boulder County Courthouse on Pearl Street Mall when Soliman threw the explosives and yelled “Free Palestine,” according to his plea agreement.
Soliman admitted that he targeted the group because of its members’ actual or perceived Jewish religion and Israeli national origin. He also admitted that he intended to kill as many people as possible.
According to the plea agreement, Soliman prepared for the attack by purchasing materials and building more than a dozen Molotov cocktails. He also prepared a backpack sprayer filled with gasoline, although he was unable to use much of it. Boulder police arrested him at the scene.
One of the victims, Karen Sorin Diamond, suffered severe burns across her body and died after spending more than 3 weeks in the hospital. Seven other people were injured, several of them suffering severe burns that required weeks of treatment.
Soliman is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2027. U.S. Senior District Judge John L. Kane presided over the guilty plea hearing.