Federal officials on Sunday said multiple people were injured in a “targeted terror attack” that broke out in Boulder, Colorado, after a suspect threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd gathered to commemorate Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza.
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said he could only confirm that several people were taken to the hospital with burn injuries after the attack.
The condition of the victims was not shared during the initial press conference.
Chief Redfearn also said the suspect, who wasn’t identified, was taken into custody without incident. The chief did not comment on a potential motive at the time.
Miri Kornfeld, an organizer with Run For Their Lives — the group raising awareness for the Israeli hostages — told KUSA-TV in Denver that a man threw bottles at the demonstrators as they marched along their route.
She said five people were burned, including a woman who became briefly engulfed in flames and had to roll on the ground to put out the fire.
Other reports from the scene had an elderly woman lying motionless, her hair badly burned, while others cared for her.
“What I will say lastly is this was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street, and this act is unacceptable,” the chief said. “I ask for a little bit of patience as we do that, but also I ask that you join me in thinking about our victims, the families of those victims and everyone involved in this tragedy.”
FBI Director Kash Patel was more pointed in his impression of the incident and said his agency is “fully investigating a targeted terror attack.”
He said FBI agents are already on the scene and assisting in the investigation.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also spoke out against the suspected hate motive behind the attack.
“I am closely monitoring the situation in Boulder, and my thoughts go out to the people who have been injured and impacted by this heinous act of terror. Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable,” the governor wrote on X.
The Colorado attack comes less than two weeks after a pair of Israeli Embassy staffers were fatally gunned down in the District in what officials have labeled an antisemitic attack.
Authorities said the suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, told officers after being arrested that he did it “for Palestine” and “for Gaza.”
Court documents said the suspect chanted “free, free Palestine” as officers were arresting him.
Mr. Rodriguez faces murder and weapons charges in the slaying of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgram, 26. Federal prosecutors said they are still looking into bringing hate crime and terrorism charges against the suspect, which could result in the death penalty.
The victims were a couple and just a few days away from getting engaged in Jerusalem.
