BOULDER, Colo. — The total number of victims from Sunday's Pearl Street Mall terror attack has increased to 15, plus one dog, the Boulder County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
The victims range from 25 to 88 years old. Eight of them are women and seven are men, the FBI Denver office confirmed.
On Tuesday, a public community vigil was held at the spot of the attack. Officials rallied, condemning the attack and calling for unity.
You can watch the vigil below:
Another community vigil happened Wednesday evening.
You can watch it below:
On Thursday, the Boulder DA plans to officially file state charges against the suspect in Sunday's attack — Mohamed Sabry Soliman. The formal filing will include attempted first-degree murder, in addition to other related charges. He was also charged with a federal hate crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Initially, eight people were reportedly injured and hospitalized. That number increased to 12 on Monday during a press conference with District Attorney Michael Dougherty. Since then, three more were identified.
According to a state affidavit for Soliman's arrest, on Sunday afternoon, the local chapter of Run For Their Lives held its weekly walk to draw attention to Israeli hostages held in Gaza as part of the Israel-Hamas War.
Soliman arrived shortly before 1 p.m. dressed like a gardener, according to his arrest affidavit, so he could get as close to the group as possible. He had purchased flowers from Home Depot and a backpack sprayer he filled with gas, the document reads.
Boulder police responded to the incident around 1:30 p.m. Sunday after receiving reports of a man with a "blow torch" who was setting people on fire and throwing Molotov cocktails, the affidavit says.
At the scene, law enforcement found a plastic container that contained at least 14 unlit Molotov cocktails, the affidavit reads. District Attorney Dougherty said later in the day that two additional ones were found, bringing the total to 16. Nearby, authorities found a backpack weed sprayer, which investigators believe may have contained flammable substance, the federal affidavit continues.
"The clear liquid in the glass bottles and weed sprayer were determined to be 87 octane gasoline, which was determined to contain xylene based on a field test," the document reads.
Soliman explained that he "hated" the group and wanted to stop them from taking over "our land," which he said was Palestine, according to a federal arrest affidavit.
Soliman was born in Egypt and moved to Kuwait, then to the United States in 2022 on a tourism visa, according to DHS. The department noted Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and has been living in the U.S. illegally since his visa expired in February 2023. The results of that asylum claim are not clear.
- Below is a map of 2024 antisemitic incidents in Colorado. Locations are broken down by city — locations are not exact.
Continuing coverage:
- Prayers, patterns, and promises along Pearl Street Mall one day after Boulder attack
- Boulder County Commissioner addresses safety concerns after Pearl Street Mall attack
- A Holocaust survivor is among the victims of Sunday's antisemitic attack in Boulder
- What we know about Mohamed Soliman, Boulder firebombing suspect now charged with a federal hate crime
- ‘A normalization of hate’: Anti-Defamation League reacts to targeted Boulder firebombing
- Boulder attack that injured 8 pro-Israel demonstrators being investigated as act of terrorism
- ‘Most horrific thing’ I’ve ever seen: Witness describes attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder
- Colorado Jewish community reacts to Boulder attacks: 'We are not going to allow terror to define us'
- Suspect accused of burning, injuring 12 in Boulder had planned attack for 1 year, affidavit reads
