Several injured in suspected terror attack at pro-Israel gathering in US
Washington: Several people sustained burn injuries Sunday in Boulder, Colorado, after an attack on demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The FBI has labelled the incident a "targeted terror attack."
Boulder police confirmed a suspect is in custody following the incident, which took place around 1:30 pm local time (1930 GMT) during a gathering believed to include members of the Jewish community.
Eyewitnesses reported a man throwing what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail at protesters.
A video circulating online shows a shirtless man holding bottles and shouting “End Zionists!”, “Palestine is Free!”, and “They are killers!” as flames spread across a grassy area and people attend to someone on the ground. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the scene.
"We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado," FBI Director Kash Patel said on X.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation.
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters it was "way too early to speculate motive," but said initial reports indicated a man with a weapon was “setting people on fire.” Responding officers located and arrested the suspect without incident.
Victims were found with burn injuries and other wounds, Redfearn said.
The Anti-Defamation League identified the target as participants in the “Boulder Run for Their Lives” event — a weekly show of support for Israeli hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that sparked the Gaza war.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, condemned the violence. “Terrorism against Jews does not stop at the Gaza border — it is already burning the streets of America,” he said. “Make no mistake — this is not a political protest, this is terrorism.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that sentiment, calling it a "targeted terror attack" and stating, “Terror has no place in our great country.”
Jewish and pro-Israel groups expressed outrage and grief. The Israeli-American Council said, “Today, during a peaceful walk on Pearl Street in Boulder to raise awareness for the hostages still in Gaza, our community was targeted in a violent, antisemitic attack... This is an attack on all of us — and we will not stay silent.”
The incident follows another recent attack — the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington — highlighting growing concerns over politically motivated violence linked to the Gaza conflict.