Egyptian citizen Mohamed Suleiman, 46, pleaded guilty to all charges against him before a Colorado state court, following his execution of an incendiary bottle attack targeting a pro-Israel gathering in Boulder last year. This confession came during a public session on Thursday, where the judge read dozens of criminal charges Suleiman faced through an Arabic interpreter.
The details of the incident date back to early June 2025, when Suleiman threw incendiary 'Molotov' cocktails at participants in a march aimed at highlighting the issue of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip. The attack resulted in the death of an eighty-year-old woman named Karen Diamond from her injuries, in addition to at least 12 other people suffering burns and injuries of varying severity.
The Egyptian defendant faces a long list of charges totaling 184 criminal counts, most notably first-degree murder according to multiple legal classifications, attempted murder, and armed assault. With this guilty plea, Suleiman now faces a life sentence without any possibility of parole, which ends the litigation process in the state court before the official verdict is issued.
In addition to local cases, Suleiman still faces separate legal prosecution in a federal court on charges related to hate crimes, charges that can carry a penalty of death or life imprisonment under American law. The defendant appeared in the courtroom in prison uniform, listening to the testimonies of survivors who described the difficult moments they experienced and the ongoing psychological repercussions of the attack on them.
Judicial sources reported that investigations revealed prior and precise planning by Suleiman to carry out the operation, as he confessed to investigators that he waited a full year until his daughter graduated from high school before committing his act. Prosecutors confirmed that the defendant directly aimed to target those he described as 'Zionists' to express his anger at the ongoing events in the Palestinian territories.
According to court records, Suleiman used two Molotov cocktails and a makeshift burner made from a herbicide spray can to increase the effectiveness of the fire in his attack. Reports indicated that the defendant was chanting 'Free Palestine' as the fire ignited in the crowd, which strengthened the prosecution's direction towards classifying the crime as a hate crime driven by political and racial motives.
US authorities identified 29 people directly affected by the attack, including 14 people who sustained direct physical injuries while trying to flee the scene. The prosecution considered that the rest of those in the immediate vicinity of the explosions were potential targets for the attempted murders carried out by the defendant using explosive and incendiary materials.
Federal investigations revealed that Suleiman learned how to make incendiary bombs through online platforms and YouTube videos. The defendant explained in his confessions that he resorted to this type of primitive weapon due to strict legal restrictions that prevent immigrants from owning or purchasing firearms in the United States, despite having received prior shooting training.
FBI statements indicated that the defendant meticulously followed how to assemble incendiary devices to ensure maximum damage. Evidence presented to the court included explicit confessions from Suleiman about his desire to draw global attention to what is happening in Gaza by carrying out a retaliatory act within US territory targeting supporters of the occupation.
This trial comes at a time when the United States is experiencing extreme polarization and security tension related to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Sources mentioned that this attack followed other similar incidents, including a shooting targeting employees at the Israeli embassy in Washington, reflecting the escalating public anger at US policies supporting Israel.
During the last session, the court heard emotional testimonies from the victims, most of whom confirmed that the effects of the trauma still haunt them nearly 11 months after the incident. Survivors described how the peaceful march turned into a scene of fire and chaos in a matter of moments, demanding the maximum penalties for the defendant to ensure that such acts are not repeated.
The court is scheduled to set a final date for the official verdict after completing all legal procedures followed in first-degree murder cases. Observers are awaiting the outcome of the parallel federal trial, which will determine whether Suleiman will face a lethal injection or spend the rest of his life behind bars in federal prisons.
I want to kill all Zionists, and I planned this attack for a full year until my daughter finished high school.
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Egyptian pleads guilty to 'Molotov' attack on pro-Israel march in Colorado