The man accused in the June antisemitic firebombing on the Pearl Street Mall that led to the death of one woman and injured 14 people and a dog pleaded not guilty to more than 100 criminal charges in Boulder County District Court on Wednesday.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian immigrant who officials say was living in the U.S. illegally, faces 118 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, dozens of counts of attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault, according to online court records.
Soliman is scheduled for a two-week trial, planned to run from July 13 to 24, with jury selection starting on July 10. He is also scheduled for a motions hearing ahead of that trial on May 7.
Soliman said few words in Wednesday’s arraignment, a largely procedural hearing. He simply responded “Yes ma’am,” while smiling to Boulder County District Court Judge Nancy W. Salomone, and agreed to waive his right to a speedy trial.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty initially said during the hearing that he would prefer an earlier trial date because “the victims in this case want to see it move forward.” The trial is scheduled to take place more than 13 months after the Pearl Street firebombing.
Karen Diamond, 82, died on June 25 because of third-degree burns and related complications that she sustained in the attack, according to the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.
Diamond was among the 29 people attacked in the Pearl Street firebombing. Officials initially said 15 people — including Diamond — and the dog were burned in the attack. The District Attorney’s office later identified 14 additional victims of the attack, which included people who suffered injuries while fleeing the attack and people who were not physically harmed, but were close enough to the attack to be victims of attempted murder.
In addition to the two counts of first-degree murder, Soliman also 28 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 25 counts of first-degree assault, two counts of using an explosive or incendiary device while committing a felony, 16 counts of attempt to use an explosive or incendiary device while committing a felony, two counts of third-degree assault and one count of animal cruelty.
He also faces a dozen federal hate crime charges in connection with the attack. He pleaded not guilty in that case in June.
Soliman’s bail is set at $10 million but he is in federal custody, according to online records.
Witnesses told police they saw Soliman throwing Molotov cocktails at people who had gathered on the popular pedestrian mall on June 1 for a weekly demonstration urging the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Soliman told investigators the attack was revenge because the demonstrators did not care about Palestinian hostages and supported the deaths of Palestinians, according to an affidavit. He told police he wanted “to kill all Zionist people,” according to another arrest affidavit.
Soliman planned the attack for more than a year and initially sought to carry out a mass shooting against the group, law enforcement officials said. He instead armed himself with Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower — made from a weed sprayer — after he could not buy a gun because of his immigration status.
Department of Homeland Security officials have said Soliman overstayed his tourist visa and remained in the U.S. illegally.
Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal and their five children were detained by immigration agents on June 3, two days after the Pearl Street attack. Immigration officials and the White House said the family was going to be deported before a judge blocked that deportation in July.