Boulder Attack; FBI Investigating As An ‘Act of Terrorism’

The suspect was heard to yell ‘Free Palestine’ during the attack.

FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Denver field office, Mark Michalek, commenting on Sunday’s attack that injured 12 people, calling it a “targeted act of violence” and confirming the FBI is investigating the crime “as an act of terrorism.”

What We Know:

Who: A 45-year-old man attacked a small group gathered to raise awareness for Israeli hostages held by U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas; the suspect is in custody. The victims range in age from 52 to 88; at the time of this writing, it remains unknown how many of the victims have been discharged or transferred to another hospital. One individual remains seriously injured. *UPDATE* According to the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect is an Egyptian national in the country without legal status. He entered the country in August 2022 with a temporary visa and then applied for asylum in September of the same year. After his visa expired in 2023, he was granted a temporary work permit, which expired at the end of March of this year. (ABC News) *UPDATE* Boulder police said on Monday that 12 people were injured in the attack.

Where & When: The attack took place on Sunday afternoon in Boulder, Colorado.

How: Law enforcement described the weapons used by the suspect as a “makeshift flamethrower” and “Molotov cocktail(s).”

Why: Motive and links to outside groups remains TBD; authorities believe the suspect acted alone. The suspect yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack, a common chant for those protesting Israel’s current military operations in Gaza (where Hamas operates). “Free Palestine” also is an expression used to protest Israel’s existence as a Jewish state in a part of the world some believe belongs to local Muslims or Palestinians who live in Gaza and the West Bank (two areas of land that flank Israel).

Context:

Currently, 58 hostages are held by the terrorist group Hamas (the United States designated Hamas a foreign terrorist organization in 1997), with Israel believing 20 to still be alive.

The hostages were taken as part of a Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people and injured others.

Israel and Hamas remain at war, with Israel attacking Gaza where Hamas operates. Gaza’s Health Ministry (run by Hamas) reports 54,000 people have been killed during the war. Attempted ceasefire talks remain ongoing.

Something To Consider: While the group in Boulder, Colorado, gathered to raise awareness for Israeli hostages, that does not mean that they uniformly support Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza. In fact, numerous protests have taken place in Israel against Israel’s government and the lack of progress to bring the hostages home. While some may advocate for the release of the Israeli hostages, that does not mean they also do not sympathize with Palestinians suffering during the war.

For example: “Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who gathered Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a ‘rope of fire’ shot in front of her and then ‘two big flares.’ She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help. Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father’s side and has supported Palestine for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestine shirt.” (AP)

Read More: FBI says 8 injured in Colorado attack by man with makeshift flamethrower who yelled ‘Free Palestine’ (AP)