Life Without Parole For Man Who Firebombed Boulder Demonstration, Killing 82-Year-Old

A Colorado state judge sentenced Mohamed Sabry Soliman to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty to a 2025 firebombing that killed an 82-year-old woman and injured a dozen others during a demonstration in Boulder, Colorado.

Court Remarks and Sentencing

Speaking through an interpreter at his sentencing hearing, Soliman apologized to the victims, saying, "If I went back, I would not have done this, as this is not according to the teaching of Islam. What I did came out of myself and only myself." He pleaded guilty in state court to the charges that led to the life sentence but has pleaded not guilty to separate federal hate-crime charges related to the June 2025 attack.

Allegations, Motive and Federal Case

Federal authorities say Soliman, an Egyptian national they allege was living in the U.S. without authorization, planned the attack for about a year and was motivated by a desire "to kill all Zionist people," according to prosecutors. He has denied hatred of Jewish people, but Judge Nancy Salomone concluded he targeted demonstrators because of their perceived Jewish identity. Federal prosecutors are weighing whether to seek the death penalty in the separate federal case.

Mugshot of Mohamed Sabry Soliman - Boulder Police Department

What Happened

Authorities say Soliman arrived at the weekly demonstration on Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall with more than two dozen Molotov cocktails, threw two at the crowd while shouting "Free Palestine!" and then fled. Police say he later told investigators he became frightened because he had never hurt anyone before. Investigators identified 29 victims connected to the incident; 13 people were physically injured and others were considered victims because they were close enough to have been harmed. An elderly protester, Karen Diamond, 82, was among those injured and later died. A dog was also reported injured and Soliman faces an animal cruelty charge.

Victims' Statements and Prosecutors' Position

In a statement read in court, Diamond’s sons described their mother’s final weeks as "a living hell" and asked that Soliman be barred from seeing his family. District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Soliman’s guilty pleas reflect "a surrender to the strength of the evidence," not true acceptance of responsibility.

Family, Immigration Status and Next Legal Steps

Soliman moved to the United States from Kuwait in 2022 with his then-wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their five children. His family spent about 10 months in immigration detention before a federal judge in Texas ordered their release in April under electronic monitoring for El Gamal and the couple’s oldest child. An immigration appeals court had dismissed their bid to stay in the U.S. and issued a deportation order; Soliman’s attorneys are seeking to block that deportation while federal proceedings continue. Defense lawyers have argued the attack was inconsistent with Soliman’s prior conduct and that his family was shocked by his actions.

Note: Soliman’s state guilty pleas produced the life sentence. The federal hate-crime case remains pending and could result in additional penalties.