As his pals caught fireplace in entrance of his eyes in Boulder, Colorado, Omer Shachar felt “panic immediately” and mentioned he knew he had to assist extinguish the flames.
Shachar, a co-leader of Run for Their Lives in Boulder, advised ABC Information he was standing in entrance of the group exterior the Boulder courthouse Sunday afternoon when a man threw a Molotov cocktail underneath their legs.
“They’re actually on fireplace,” he mentioned of the stroll individuals. “I do not know if I can specific it sufficient — actually on fireplace and making an attempt to tug my good friend out of the fireplace.”
Tactical groups get into place following an incident that the FBI is investigating , June 1, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado.
Chet Unusual/Getty Pictures
“As soon as somebody might assist her, I used to be reaching out to the [attacker] and check out, I do not know what I believed, however perhaps to sort out him … however we noticed that he is approaching to a container filled with bottles and realized that it is not a good suggestion, so we stepped again,” Shachar mentioned. “We’re making an attempt to maintain individuals away as a lot as doable, though a few of them could not stroll. One in all them was on the bottom the place the fireplace is.”
Shachar mentioned passersby stepped in with water bottles to attempt to assist put out the blaze.
An Israeli flag stands in a mattress of flowers as warning tape blocks off a abandoned Pearl Avenue on the scene of an assault on demonstrators calling for the discharge of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, in Boulder, Colorado, June 1, 2025.
Eli Imadali/AFP through Getty Pictures
Authorities are reviewing a newly launched video displaying the chaos and panic within the assault’s aftermath.
The suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, was apprehended after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails in an “act of terrorism” in the course of the pro-Israel demonstration, officers mentioned.
Regulation enforcement officers detain a suspect, after an assault that injured a number of individuals, in Boulder, Colorado, June 1, 2025.
@opusobscurax/X through Reuters
Twelve people had been injured, officers mentioned. Two victims stay within the hospital.
Soliman, who allegedly disguised himself as a gardener in the course of the assault, advised police “he needed to kill all Zionist individuals and wished they had been all lifeless,” court docket paperwork mentioned. “SOLIMAN acknowledged he would do it (conduct an assault) once more.”
He “mentioned this had nothing to do with the Jewish neighborhood and was particular within the Zionist group supporting the killings of individuals on his land (Palestine),” paperwork mentioned.
Reserving picture of 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, the person suspected of finishing up an “act of terrorism” throughout a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, June 1, 2025.
Boulder Police Division
Shachar mentioned Run for Their Lives holds a peaceable stroll each Sunday to lift consciousness concerning the hostages who stay held in Gaza by Hamas since Oct. 7, 2023.
Members embody those that are “Jewish and non-Jewish, proper and left, Israelis and non-Israelis, Individuals and non-Individuals,” he mentioned. “And persons are coming for a similar trigger — to carry these hostages again residence.”
Shachar mentioned he hopes the group can return to their walks quickly.
“In the meanwhile, Run for the Lives, the worldwide group, requested to cease strolling till we perceive higher security preparations and safety preparations,” he mentioned. “Nonetheless, personally, I’ll say that so long as we are able to do it, and as lengthy that we’re working with the police and we are able to do it, I’ll stroll till the final hostage is again residence.”
Soliman, a husband and father of 5 who lives in Colorado Springs, allegedly mentioned he had been planning the assault for one yr however waited till his daughter graduated from highschool final Thursday to hold it out, state and federal paperwork mentioned.
Soliman had taken a hid carry class to learn to fireplace a gun, however “had to make use of Molotov cocktails [for the attack] after he was denied the acquisition of a gun as a consequence of him not being a authorized citizen,” state court docket paperwork mentioned.
Sixteen unused Molotov cocktails had been inside “arm’s attain” of the suspect when he was arrested, FBI Denver Particular Agent in Cost Mark Michalek mentioned on Monday.
The unlit Molotov cocktails had been “comprised of glass wine carafe bottles or Ball jars containing clear liquid and crimson rags hanging out of the bottles,” court docket paperwork mentioned. Police additionally discovered a “backpack weed sprayer, probably containing a flammable substance. The clear liquid within the glass bottles and weed sprayer had been decided to be 87 octane gasoline, which was decided to comprise xylene.”
Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime and state expenses together with 16 counts of tried first-degree homicide, in response to court docket paperwork. He appeared in court docket nearly on Monday. He has but to enter a plea.
Soliman is within the U.S. on an expired vacationer visa, officers mentioned. He was granted a piece allow, however that had additionally expired in March. He was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years earlier than shifting to Colorado Springs three years in the past, court docket paperwork mentioned.
