The suspect accused of firebombing peaceful pro-Israel activists in Colorado on Sunday is a noncitizen who received a work permit two years ago from the Department of Homeland Security.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman’s work permit, given to him during the Biden administration, expired in March, three senior DHS and ICE sources told Fox News.
A DHS spokeswoman said Soliman, an Egyptian national, was living in the country illegally at the time of the attack. He entered the United States in August 2022 with a visa that expired in February 2023, the spokeswoman said, noting he applied for asylum during that time.
Soliman received the work permit from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in March 2023, the sources said.
BOULDER COLORADO TERROR SUSPECT MOHAMED SOLIMAN FACES MURDER, ASSAULT, OTHER CHARGES
Soliman allegedly injured eight adults, including elderly victims up to 88 years old, at an outdoor mall in Boulder, according to the FBI.
The suspect was witnessed shouting “Free Palestine” during the attack and using a makeshift flamethrower to target the crowd, the FBI said. Police said the victims were hospitalized with burn wounds.
They had been participating in a Run for Their Lives protest, which, according to the Anti-Defamation League, is a weekly event attended by members of the Jewish community to support hostages held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
SUSPECT IN BOULDER TERROR ATTACK DETERMINED TO BE EGYPTIAN MAN IN US ILLEGALLY: FBI
Leo Terrell, a top Department of Justice official in the Civil Rights Division, said one of the victims lived through the Holocaust.
“She endured the worst evil in human history,” Terrell said in a statement on X. “She came to America seeking safety. And now, decades later, she’s victimized again by a terrorist screaming ‘Free Palestine.’”
Soliman is being detained in Boulder County Jail on charges of murder, crimes against at-risk and elderly adults, using incendiary devices, and assault.
In addition to state charges, federal charges are also possible.
“Department of Justice agents with local law enforcement are investigating the tragic attack in Boulder, Colorado,” a DOJ spokesperson said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by this needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans. We will follow the facts and prosecute all perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.”