“There’s no way to hang yourself, there’s nothing from the ceiling, there’s nothing from the bed,” Franzese said.
Day: July 15, 2025
In our news wrap Tuesday, two people died in New Jersey when their vehicle was swept away in floodwaters, search efforts are ongoing for those still missing after the deadly Texas flooding, Gaza health officials say Israeli airstrikes overnight killed at least 93 people and Syria’s defense minister announced a ceasefire after sectarian clashes killed dozens of people in the country’s south.
The case against the man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a crowd of demonstrators in Boulder, Colo., who were calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza will move ahead after the suspect waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
The hearing was intended to assess whether there was enough evidence for the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, to stand trial. But Soliman’s lawyer told the judge he would give up his right to hear the evidence, the Associated Press reported, and the judge ruled that prosecutors could proceed with their case.
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An arraignment hearing, where Soliman will enter a plea in the state case, is scheduled for September 9.
Soliman, 45, faces a total of more than 150 state charges and 12 federal hate crime counts after allegedly throwing an incendiary device towards a crowd of demonstrators in the June 1 attack while yelling “Free Palestine,” according to law enforcement. The Boulder District Attorney’s Office has identified nearly 30 victims of the attack, including 13 who suffered physical injuries. Eight people who sustained burns and other injuries were hospitalized. A dog was also harmed during the incident.
Soliman was originally charged with 118 criminal counts, including several for attempted first degree murder, on June 5. The Boulder County District Attorney charged him with an additional 66 counts and amended some others he previously faced after 82-year-old Karen Diamond passed away as a result of wounds she sustained in the attack later in June.
Soliman previously pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
He previously requested that the preliminary hearing be set back to the end of October due to what his counsel referred to as “significant collateral implications” that could not be addressed ahead of the July 15 date.
“Counsel is not aware of an autopsy report being produced yet,” the motion read. “Additionally, there will be significant medical records that need to be provided and reviewed in advance of such hearing.”
The request was denied.
Here’s what to know about Soliman and what he’s accused of.
Who is Mohamed Sabry Soliman?
Soliman is an Egyptian national who first entered the U.S. in August 2022 on a B-2 tourist visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He applied for asylum in September of that year, though details on his application have not publicly been reported. A spokeswoman for DHS previously told TIME that Soliman overstayed his visa, which expired in February 2023.
The suspect was living in Colorado Springs with his family prior to his arrest on June 1.
Read more: Who Is the Suspect in the Colorado Attack?
Soliman told police following the attack that he wanted to kill all Zionists, adding that he “wished they were dead,” according to an FBI affidavit. He also allegedly informed authorities that he was waiting for his daughter to graduate to conduct the attack, which he said he had been planning for at least a year.
Soliman’s wife and five children were detained by immigration authorities in June to investigate whether the family knew of the suspect’s intention, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Officials moved to expedite the removal of Soliman’s family from the country, but their deportation was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Texas dismissed the family’s petition to be released from immigration custody.
What happened in the attack?
Demonstrators from “Run for Their Lives,” which stages weekly events to advocate for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, gathered at a park in front of the Boulder County Courthouse on June 1. Soliman allegedly entered the park carrying a backpack with 18 glass bottles and jars, as well as flammable liquid and red rags, and approached the group, according to the Justice Department.
At around 1:30 p.m. local time, authorities allege Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails towards the crowd and yelled “Free Palestine!”
Read more: What We Know About the Boulder, Colorado Attack
Twenty-nine victims have been identified, one of whom, 82-year-old Diamond, died on June 25 as a result of her injuries.
Following the attack, authorities recovered a handwritten document from Soliman’s vehicle that said, “Zionism is our enemies untill [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land.”
Soliman confessed to authorities that he committed the attack, according to the FBI affidavit. He said he initially tried to buy a firearm, per Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado J. Bishop Grewell, but could not purchase one because he was not a legal citizen and instead used Molotov cocktails.