Chaos erupted on the Pearl Street Mall as the peaceful Sunday afternoon turned into a scene of terror and confusion. The bystanders, initially unaware of the danger, were caught off guard by the sudden outbreak of flames.
Edgar Depaz, Chloe Weber, Lynn Segal, and Rick Holter all had different initial thoughts upon witnessing the fire, ranging from assuming it was an accident to thinking it was a protest or performance. The sight of a shirtless man holding bottles and screaming did not immediately raise alarms.
As the situation escalated, Andi Leahey realized the severity of the attack when she was just feet away from the perpetrator, Mohamed Sabry Soliman. The following account of the six-minute fire attack that injured 12 people sheds light on the events that unfolded on that fateful day.
From calm to chaos
Soliman, disguised as a gardener, blended in with the crowd until he unleashed the fire attack near the old Boulder County Courthouse. Unbeknownst to the bystanders, he had planned the attack meticulously, carrying a weed sprayer filled with gasoline and multiple Molotov cocktails.
The peaceful march for Israeli hostages organized by Run for Their Lives turned into a nightmare as Soliman’s carefully orchestrated plan unfolded. The walkers, silent and carrying signs, were taken by surprise as Soliman set off a line of fire, igniting chaos on the mall.
‘He was a ball of fire’
The swift escalation of the situation caught everyone off guard. Depaz, Weber, and Leahey witnessed the horrifying sight of Soliman engulfed in flames, and his subsequent threats to harm others sent them running in fear. Victims writhed in pain as Soliman threw fire in all directions, causing injuries and chaos.
The peaceful afternoon on the Pearl Street Mall was shattered by the violent actions of one man, leaving a lasting impact on all those who witnessed the terrifying events unfold.
The acrid smell of burning fuel permeated the air, accompanied by the horrifying sight of people’s skin melting off their bodies in the aftermath of the attack. Segal, wearing a pro-Palestinian T-shirt and carrying a small flag, hesitated between rushing to help the victims or seeking safety. Ultimately, she decided to walk away to avoid being mistaken for the attacker.
The chaos unfolded as Soliman, shirtless and armed with Molotov cocktails, paced amidst the burning grass outside the courthouse. He shouted extremist statements, met with disbelief and fear from onlookers. Amidst the chaos, witnesses called 911 while others rushed to aid the injured, dousing burn victims with water in a desperate attempt to alleviate their suffering.
Horwitz, capturing the scene on video, later joined the efforts to help the victims, risking his safety to assist those in need. As he reflected on the attack, he expressed concern about the implications for future generations, particularly in the Jewish community.
As Soliman was apprehended by law enforcement, it was revealed that he had thrown only a fraction of the Molotov cocktails in his possession, claiming fear and lack of intent to harm. The aftermath of the attack left twelve people injured, including a Holocaust survivor, highlighting the heinous nature of the crime.
Soliman, facing serious criminal charges, may spend the rest of his life behind bars for his actions. The incident, a stark departure from the peaceful intentions of the event, underscored the antisemitic motives behind the attack in what was considered a bastion of humanitarianism. following sentence:
The cat chased the mouse around the room.
The mouse was chased around the room by the cat.
