Boulder Suspect attack attempted to buy a handgun in November but was refused: those responsible
The suspect of Sunday’s attack in Boulder tried in November to buy a handgun, but was refused, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, the suspect tried to buy the weapon on November 22, 2024, but was refused on the basis of the national system for verifying instant criminal history, according to the office.
The reason for his denial was not disclosed. He did not call the refusal, said the office.
About a month later, on December 30, 2024, CBI denied his hidden handgun permit request.
Soliman was accused of a crime of federal hatred and a state accusation, including 16 heads of attempted murder in the first degree, according to legal documents. He appeared on Monday in court on Monday. He has not yet pleaded.
According to the Ministry of Internal Security, his wife and children are relaxed from the application of immigration and customs and the family is processed for an accelerated referral, according to the Ministry of Internal Security.
“We are investigating to what extent his family knew this odious attack, if they knew, or if they provided him with support,” said internal security Kristi Noem on Tuesday. “I continue to pray for the victims of this attack and their families. Justice will be done.”
Soliman – which was arrested after pretending to have launched Molotov cocktails in an “act of terrorism” during a demonstration pleading for the hostages which are held on Sunday in Gaza on Sunday – was in the United States with an expired tourist visa, officials said.
An Israeli flag is held in a bed of flowers while the adhesive ribbon blocks a street in Pearl deserted on the scene of an attack against demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, Boulder, Colorado, June 1, 2025.
Eli IMADALI / AFP via gettty images
The father of five obtained a work permit, but which had also expired in March.
Soliman was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, court documents said.
Soliman would have said that he had planned the attack on Sunday for a year, but waited for his daughter to graduate last Thursday to carry it out, state and federal documents said.
Sixteen unused Molotov cocktails were at the suspect’s “sign” when he was arrested, FBI Special Agent said on Mark Michalek on Monday.
The unlit Molotov cocktails were “made up of carafe bottles or ball jars containing clear liquid and red rags that dragged bottles,” said court documents. The police also found a “sprayer of weeds on the back, potentially containing a flammable substance. The transparent liquid in the glass bottles and the weeding sprayer was determined as being of the essence at 87 Octanes, which was determined to contain xylene.”
Kevin Shalvey, Emily Shapiro and Luke Barr from ABC News contributed to this report.
