In brief
The Department of Homeland Security confirms that Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national responsible for a recent Boulder, Colorado attack, is in the U.S. illegally after his tourist visa expired.
The suspect in the attack that unfolded in Boulder, Colorado, targeting individuals supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza, has been identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian citizen who has overstayed his entry visa. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided further insights on Monday, clarifying that Soliman arrived in the U.S. in August 2022 on a temporary tourism visa, which expired in February 2023, leaving him in the country illegally.According to Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, Soliman had submitted an asylum application in September 2022, although further specifics about this request remain undisclosed. The assault, which has drawn significant attention and is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism, occurred during a peaceful demonstration on Sunday when Soliman allegedly utilized a "makeshift flamethrower," resulting in serious injuries to eight participants.Soliman, aged 45, was apprehended shortly after the incident as witnesses identified him as the perpetrator. He now faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, though it has not been officially reported whether any of the injured individuals succumbed to their injuries. Currently, two of the injured are reported to be in serious condition.In light of the incident, a U.S. official conveyed that on the same day, the National Counterterrorism Center relayed information to federal law enforcement highlighting no existing derogatory findings concerning Soliman. The situation serves as a grim reminder of the complexities surrounding immigration and homegrown extremism within the United States.
