Boulder community mourns loss of Karen Diamond, after fatal antisemitic attack
Karen Diamond, an 82-year-old beloved member of Boulder's Jewish community, Colorado, has died from injuries suffered during a brutal antisemitic attack earlier this month, officials confirmed Monday. Diamond was hospitalized with severe burns and trauma after being targeted in a firebombing on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall on June 1, where she and others were peacefully protesting to raise awareness for Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
According to prosecutors, the attacker, identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 46, allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails into the crowd while shouting pro-Palestinian slogans, including 'Free Palestine.' Court documents reveal Soliman had brought 16 more incendiary devices to the scene and disguised himself as a gardener to get close to the marchers. The attack left 13 people physically injured, with at least eight requiring hospitalization, and a total of 29 victims have now been identified by authorities.
Diamond succumbed to her injuries on June 25 after weeks in intensive care. Her death has led prosecutors to upgrade charges against Soliman to first-degree murder, in addition to existing attempted murder and federal hate crime charges. Although Colorado abolished the death penalty in 2020, federal prosecutors could still pursue capital charges due to the hate crime element.
Diamond was privately laid to rest, with her family and members of Boulder's Congregation Bonai Shalom mourning her loss. Rabbi Marc Soloway described the pain as 'horrific,' while Jonathan Lev, executive director of the Boulder Jewish Community Center, called her 'a cherished member of our community, someone whose warmth and generosity left a lasting impact on all who knew her'. The Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federations of North America expressed deep sorrow, warning that the attack reflects a broader and troubling rise in antisemitic violence across the United States.
District Attorney Michael Dougherty pledged to fight for justice for Diamond and all victims, stating, 'This horrific attack has now claimed the life of an innocent person who was beloved by her family and friends. Our hearts are with the Diamond family during this incredibly difficult time'.The Boulder community continues to rally in support of the victims and to stand against hate.
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Sean ‘Diddy' Combs sex-crime trial: Why the music mogul was acquitted of the most serious charge
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Diddy became famous the world over for hosting high-profile parties, including some where attendees were required to wear all white. However, prosecutors say he also held sex parties, called 'freak-offs', where women were forced into humiliating and abusive situations. Accusations from two of his former partners — singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura and a woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane — were at the heart of Wednesday's criminal case. In this courtroom sketch, Sean 'Diddy' Combs reacts after he was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life in Manhattan federal court in New York. AP The prosecutors argued in court that the music mogul coerced women into abusive sex parties, which saw the use of hired male sex workers, and plied them with drugs like cocaine and threats to their careers. 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STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, the jury found him not guilty on the racketeering and sex trafficking charges, the most serious of the charges in the matter. Hours after the verdict, lead defence attorney Marc Agnifilo told the media outside the courtroom, 'Mr. Combs has been given his life backy this jury. 'Today is a great victory. It's a great victory for Sean Combs. It's a great victory for the jury system,' he said. 'You saw that the Southern District of New York prosecutors came at him with all that they had. They're not stopping. But one thing stands between all of us and a prison, and that is a jury of 12 citizens.' 'They got the situation right,' Agnifilo said. 'Or certainly, right enough.' Janice Combs, mother of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, walks outside the US federal court, after the jury reached verdicts in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial, in Manhattan, New York City. Reuters Why was Diddy acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking? One of the most serious charges Diddy faced was racketeering — prosecutors alleged that Combs led a criminal enterprise, which worked to cover up a range of his crimes, including sex trafficking, forced labour, drug distribution, bribery and obstruction of justice. Also, known as Rico (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), the law was meant to take on the mob in the US, but has been used in other trials too. Many legal experts note that Rico cases are difficult. 'Rico is a very rigid and difficult law to satisfy,' Mitchell Epner, a former assistant US Attorney in New Jersey who worked on numerous sex trafficking and involuntary servitude cases, told Los Angeles Times. 'It requires an ongoing criminal structure, a continuity of members of a criminal organisation. It is on purpose difficult for prosecutors to prove, and the defence did a very good job of pointing out the shortcomings of a Rico prosecution on a technical level. ' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and legal commentator, also noted that he wasn't particularly surprised that the jury acquitted Diddy on the sex trafficking charges. 'It was a weak case,' says Rahmani. 'The jury thought it was all consensual. That was absolutely clear from the beginning that they didn't believe the [alleged] victims were forced or coerced to participate in the acts. It was all volunteer.' Misty Marris, a defence attorney and legal analyst also explained that the prosecutors failed to provide a robust explanation of how Combs' alleged criminal enterprise worked. 'They never established what the criminal enterprise was, its purpose, how it operated, who was really involved in it,' Marris was quoted telling NBC News. 'That really never gelled for me, and clearly the jury agreed.' Charlie Lucci, a supporter and family friend of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, holds a T-shirt outside the courthouse after the jury reached verdicts in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial at US federal court in Manhattan, New York City, US. Reuters What comes next for Diddy? The transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum prison term of 10 years. With guilty verdicts on two counts, Diddy could face a maximum of 20 years in prison. Shortly after the verdict, Diddy's lawyer asked for his client to be released from federal detention until his sentencing hearing — scheduled for October 3. However, US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied this request and ordered Diddy to remain in jail until he is sentenced. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But this doesn't mean that Diddy's legal woes are over. He faces a number of lawsuits — approximately 80 of them — on claims of sexual assault and physical violence. The music mogul has denied all of the allegations. With inputs from agencies
