Article 6XP6N Colorado attack: what we know so far

Colorado attack: what we know so far

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Guardian staff and agencies
from US news | The Guardian on (#6XP6N)

Those injured in Boulder were taking part in an event to show support for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza

Eight people have been injured in an attack in Boulder, Colorado, in which a man using a makeshift flamethrower" and incendiary devices allegedly attacked a Jewish community event.

Here's what we know so far:

The man, whom the FBI has identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, allegedly targeted a group of people who had gathered to show their support for Israeli hostages held in Gaza, authorities said. The man shouted Free Palestine" in the Sunday afternoon attack, police allege.

Four men and five women between 52 and 88 years old were hurt in the attack. Their injuries were consistent with burns. Some of the injuries were minor but one person is in critical condition, FBI special agent Mark Michalek said.

Soliman was booked into Boulder county jail on Sunday on multiple felony charges. He was due to appear in court at 1.30pm local time on Monday, and is being held on a $10m bond.

In a video apparently of the attack, a shirtless man holding clear bottles in his hands is seen pacing as the grass in front of him burns, AFP reported. Several people in red T-shirts are seen tending to a person lying on the ground as others can be heard screaming. Images also showed billowing black smoke.

Witnesses described seeing victims who were badly burned. Brooke Coffman, a 19-year-old student, said she saw four women lying or sitting on the ground with burns on their legs. One of them appeared to have been badly burned on most of her body and had been wrapped in a flag by someone, Coffman said.

The FBI said it was treating the incident as an act of terrorism". The attack was a targeted act of violence", Mark Michalek, an FBI special agent, told a press conference. Law enforcement officials said there is no evidence that the man was connected to a wider group.

The people injured were taking part of a weekly event called Run for Their Lives, a walk to show support for the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, the Boulder Jewish Community Centre said in a statement.

The White House said Soliman was in the US illegally", and used the attack to criticize Joe Biden. The Biden Admin granted the alien a visa and then, when he illegally overstayed, they gave him a work permit," Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, said.

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