Boulder, Colorado news: Mohamed Soliman, suspect accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel protesters, pleads not guilty
A man accused of attacking a pro-Israel demonstration advocating for the release of hostages held in Gaza pleaded not guilty to 184 state charges during his arraignment in state court Wednesday.
Mohamed Soliman, 45, is accused of using a "makeshift flamethrower" and throwing an incendiary device into a crowd of people participating in a Run for Their Lives walk at a pedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado in June, according to the FBI.
An 82-year-old Holocaust survivor died in the wake of the attack , while at least 15 people were injured.
Soliman allegedly told investigators he "specifically targeted" the Run for Their Lives walk after learning about the group in an online search, according to court documents.
The 184 state charges against Soliman include first-degree murder, and dozens of counts of attempted murder and assault charges related to the victims who were injured.
It was announced on Wednesday that jury selection for Soliman's state case would be scheduled to begin on July 10, 2026, and the trial would last about two weeks.
Soliman is facing a four-week federal trial in June 2026 for the attack. If his federal trial start date changes, his attorneys said Wednesday they hope to start the state trial sooner.
Soliman sat in court wearing a brown jail uniform and waived his right to a speedy trial.
The Egyptian citizen lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, according to court documents. He is in the United States illegally on an expired tourist visa, according to officials and court documents. He was granted a work permit, but that expired in March.
After the attack, Soliman told police, "he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead," according to court documents.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took Soliman's wife and five children into custody after the attack and they were being processed for expedited removal from the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security. The family filed a suit contesting their deportation, court records show, and it was briefly halted before a judge ruled against them in July.
