Latest news with #BoulderPolice
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Security increased at Boulder Jewish Festival in light of attack
BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR)- The Boulder Jewish Festival got underway Sunday, exactly a week after a terror attack unfolded, injuring 15 people and a dog. Hundreds of people gathered at the Pearl Street Mall, music filled the air and people could be seen dancing, smiling, and holding hands, showing solidarity at the festival. Tourist details newly obtained video of Boulder attack showing people on fire ''It's been on my calendar ever since I found out about it,' said Melanie Greenberg. Greenberg typically comes to the festival every year. This year, she brought her son Daniel Miller because, after the attack, she says this year has a stronger meaning than in years past. 'Seeing this community attacked, you never think it'll happen to people you know or a community you were raised up in,' said Miller. Chief Stephen Redfearn with Boulder police said, 'Up to this morning, we were constantly evaluating our response.' In light of the attack, Redfearn increased security, bringing in state patrol and a few dozen officers. 'Not just officers walking around in uniform, but we also got SWAT officers here, we got overwatch in better terms, snipers. We've got drones, we've got K-9s, bomb sniffing dogs,' said Redfearn. 'The goal is to have anyone who wants to disrupt this event, or God forbid, cause additional harm like we saw Sunday, to be very clear, everywhere you look, there's a cop.' Redfearn said he would rather law enforcement be extra prepared. Mother, 2 kids speak out after son in wheelchair aids in Boulder attack aftermath There were a few small counterprotests, but officers told FOX31 that other than banter back and forth, the festival remained peaceful. 'We got teams on standby if, for some reason, we have a protest that went bad,' said Redfearn. 'Our partners with the federal agencies are looking at social media monitoring threats online, so it's a real big footprint.' Making people show up at the same place where the fire bombings happened a week ago feel safer. 'It's nice; it's a bit of overkill, but I'm thankful for that today,' said Greenberg. FBI warns of threat to Israeli, Jewish communities after Boulder attack, others Miller said, 'It's just sad. I had hate towards me, being Jewish in high school. I had kids say antisemitic things to me and nothing was done about it. It's sad to see it's still happening and getting worse now, but it's nice to see security around and hopefully it will last.' Attendees say they hope to see the increased security at future events and walks. Redfearn said that because of the attack, there will likely be more security next year, but hopefully, things will calm down so they won't need an all-hands-on-deck approach. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Boulder Jewish Festival adding extra security one week after Pearl Street attack
DENVER (KDVR) — One week after the attack in Boulder, the Jewish community in town is set to host its biggest event of the year, the annual Jewish Festival. Things may look a little different this year, with a much larger police presence expected. Friends hunt storms in Colorado on Friday This year is the 30th anniversary of the Jewish Festival in Boulder. While there was discussion about the festival even happening and how it can be kept safe, community leaders decided the 30th iteration of the event is the most important one yet. 'It's always been called the best Sunday in June,' said Jonathan Lev, executive director of the Boulder Jewish Community Center. A day of Jewish celebration is now coming only a week after a day of Jewish pain. 'The attacks on last Sunday put into question whether that festival was possible,' said Lev. Lev called it a 'long, short time' that they had to decide on whether the festival was even possible. Three factors played into keeping it going: the first was immediately apparent when talking to community members. 'The Jewish community really needed this festival and needed an opportunity to come together,' he said. The second factor was coming together safely. The festival averages 10,000 to 15,000 people a year, and he expects that total to be significantly higher this year. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said on Thursday that those kinds of crowds will require more of his staff. 'You will see a large police presence,' said Redfearn. 'You will see our partner agencies, you will see us there ready to protect that event to ensure that people can grieve and recover from this attack safely and peacefully.' He said just being there isn't enough, though, and asks for community help as well. 'We need all eyes and ears out there to help look for things that may not be right and let us know so we can address them,' said Redfearn. With safety settled, the final factor was including the organization Run for Their Lives as part of the festivities, which will now be a focal point of the day. Pothole that formed in under 30 minutes causes backups on I-70: CDOT 'All three of those things came together in a beautiful way,' said Lev. A beautiful way, he said, to provide necessary healing. 'We need to be able to both have Jewish joy and experience our Jewish pain together,' said Lev. The Jewish Festival will be on Pearl Street Mall between 13th Street and 14th Street this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
03-06-2025
- General
- CNN
Attack Suspect Faces Hate Crime, 16 Counts Of Attempted Murder - Erin Burnett OutFront - Podcast on CNN Audio
Attack Suspect Faces Hate Crime, 16 Counts Of Attempted Murder Erin Burnett OutFront 47 mins According to police, the suspect in the Colorado attack had been planning it for a year. Now he is charged with a hate crime and the Boulder Police chief and Colorado governor join to discuss. Plus, the stunning details of Ukraine's destruction of more than 40 of Putin war planes.
7NEWS
02-06-2025
- 7NEWS
Suspect on expired visa charged over Molotov cocktail attack during Israeli rally in Colorado, US
A suspect has been charged over a Molotov cocktail attack at an Israeli rally in the US state of Colorado. Twelve people were injured but police have said no one was killed in the attack on Sunday in the city of Boulder. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been charged with attempted murder, hate crime, assault and the use of explosives, according to official records. Both federal and state prosecutors have filed separate criminal cases against him. More charges are also possible. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The father-of-five told investigators he had researched Molotov cocktails on YouTube before making them from glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of them, the FBI said. Four women and four men between the ages of 52 and 88 were taken to hospitals after the attack, Boulder Police said. Injuries raged from serious to minor, with four people since released from hospital, Miri Kornfeld, a Denver-based organiser connected to the rally group that was allegedly targeted, said. She said those still in hospital include one person whose clothing had caught on fire. In video captured by Alex Osante, a witness from San Diego, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. The suspect is being held on a $US10 million ($A15 million) bail. 'Had planned on dying' Osante witnessed the attack across the pedestrian mall, when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking and a 'boom' followed by people yelling and screaming. Soliman had 18 incendiary devices on him but only threw out two, he told investigators. He also had gas in a backpack sprayer but told investigators he didn't spray it on anyone but himself 'because he had planned on dying'. He didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before'. 'He said he had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do it,' police wrote in an affidavit. He told investigators he had been planning the attack for more than a year and specifically targeted what he described as a 'Zionist group,' authorities said in court papers. He had waited 'until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack,' the affidavit says. Soliman also told investigators he had tried to buy a gun but was denied because he is not a legal US citizen. 'Illegally in our country' Soliman, who was born in Egypt, moved three years ago to Colorado Springs where he lived with his wife and five children, according to state court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. Few details were available about the suspect but US Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons said Soliman had overstayed a visa and had an expired work permit. 'There are millions of individuals like this that we are attempting to locate from the past administration that weren't properly screened that were allowed in,' Lyons said. 'I will tell you that's a huge effort for ICE right now.' Under former president Joe Biden, ICE prioritised arrests of serious criminals and called for officers to consider humanitarian factors when making arrests. The attack was the latest act of violence aimed at Jewish people in the US, linked to outrage over Israel's escalating military offensive in the Gaza Strip. It followed the fatal shooting of two Israel embassy aides that took place outside Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC last month. Lyons declined to provide more information, but a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously said Soliman had entered the country in August 2022 and filed for asylum the following month. 'The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country,' the spokesperson said. Soliman is scheduled for a court hearing later on Monday. US President Donald Trump said such attacks would not be tolerated. 'This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland,' he said in a social media post. Witnesses reported the suspect used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. He was heard to yell 'Free Palestine,' according to the FBI. The agency have called the incident a 'targeted terror attack'. The attack took place on the Pearl St Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district near the University of Colorado, during an event organised by Run For Their Lives. The organisation is devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel. Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told CBS Colorado the 88-year-old victim was a Holocaust refugee who fled Europe. The FBI raided and searched Soliman's home in El Paso County, Colorado, the agency said. 'As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time.' — With AP
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Boulder attack suspect charged with federal hate crime after leaving 12 people injured in 'terror' incident. Here's everything we know about what happened.
A man who allegedly shouted 'Free Palestine' and threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd of people calling for the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas has been charged with a federal hate crime. The suspect in the attack, which left at least 12 people injured, has been identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, from El Paso County, Colo., the FBI's Denver office said on Sunday. Soliman has been charged with a "hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion or national origin," according to an affidavit filed on Monday. Soliman allegedly told police he had planned the attack for a year, researching and specifically targeting a "Zionist group." Soliman confessed to the attack after being taken into custody and told police he would do it again, the Associated Press reported, citing an FBI affidavit. It was initially reported that four women and four men, between the ages of 52 and 88, were injured in the attack at Pearl Street Mall, Boulder Police said in a statement on Sunday. No victims have died, although the injuries range from minor to serious. Four more people have reached out to law enforcement, saying they were hurt during the attack, bringing the number of victims up to 12, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a press briefing on Monday. Two victims still remain in the hospital, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said Monday afternoon. While Boulder Police on Sunday said it was too early to treat the situation as an act of terrorism, FBI Director Kash Patel called the incident a 'targeted terror attack.' Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also referred to the situation as 'not a political protest' but 'terrorism.' Soliman was booked into the Boulder County Jail, and his bail was set at $10 million in cash. He is set to appear in court on Monday. Here's what we know about what happened. The rally was organized by Run for Their Lives, a national group that has held walks in support of the Israeli hostages who were taken after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 250 Israeli hostages were taken during the attack and, following months of releases and several deaths, at least 23 are still believed to be alive. Run for Their Lives encourages participants to join its weekly walks to raise awareness for the hostages, and on its website, specifies that participants should not formally protest or block roads. 'This is a family-friendly event,' the group states on its website. 'It is non-violent and does not focus on the traumatic events that occurred during the hostages' captivity. Our events are meant to be quiet and peaceful.' The group met around 1 p.m. local time on Sunday to walk up and down the length of the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian area that spans four blocks of downtown Boulder. It was not clear how many people on the scene were participating in the Run for Their Lives rally or were witnesses who happened to be in the area, Redfearn said Monday. Authorities were called to an incident near Pearl Street Mall just before 1:30 p.m. MT on Sunday, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said at an afternoon briefing that day. He said police received calls that a group had been 'set on fire.' Multiple witnesses reported that a man 'with a makeshift flamethrower' and an incendiary device was chanting 'Free Palestine' and threw the incendiary device into the crowd, the FBI said. Soliman told investigators he created his homemade Molotov cocktails after doing research on YouTube. Police said they found 16 unlit Molotov cocktails near where Soliman was arrested. Each item was either a glass carafe, bottle or jar. Inside Soliman's car, which was found nearby, law enforcement found pieces of paper with the words "Israel," "Palestine" and "USAID," AP reported. Witnesses said they saw people writhing on the ground and other people running to get water to try to help the victims. UCHealth told CBS News' Colorado station that two of the victims were flown by helicopter to its burn unit; police stated four others were taken to Boulder Community Health. Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime as of Monday afternoon. After being arrested, Soliman reportedly told police he had been planning the attack for a year, researching and specifically targeting a "Zionist group." It appears Soliman acted alone, FBI Denver Special Agent Mark Michalek said Monday afternoon. Senior law enforcement officials stressed during the Sunday press briefing that an investigation into what happened in Boulder on Sunday is still in its early stages. They said that Soliman is an Egyptian national who has had no previous significant contact or interactions with law enforcement. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, claimed in a statement on X that Soliman was 'an illegal alien.' Soliman entered the U.S. in August 2022 on a B2 visa — a tourism visa that expired in February 2023 — and then filed for asylum in September 2022, Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, told ABC News on Monday. Another senior official told ABC that Soliman was granted a work permit after his B2 visa expired, and that permit expired on March 28. Soliman told a detective he had used Molotov cocktails because he was not able to legally buy a firearm because of his immigration status, acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell said on Monday. Redfearn said law enforcement has been reviewing Soliman's social media profiles, but noted that 'it's way too early to speculate a motive.'
