Seven people, including children, injured in Boulder, Colorado, as Molotov cocktails thrown at a peaceful walk for Israeli hostages. Attacker reportedly yells “End Zionists” before being arrested. FBI investigating incident as a terrorist attack.
At least seven people, including children, were injured on Sunday afternoon when a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Israeli hostages being held in Gaza in Boulder, Colorado, was targeted by Molotov cocktails.
Authorities are investigating what FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino have described as a “terrorist attack.”
Patel said in a post on social media, “Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.”
The incident unfolded around 3:30 p.m. local time, when participants of a “Run For Their Lives” walk at the Pearl Street Mall were reportedly targeted with Molotov cocktails, witnesses at the scene recounted to CBS Colorado.
Boulder police rapidly responded to what they termed an “attack,” initiating evacuations of the 1200, 1300, and 1400 blocks of Pearl Street between Walnut and Pine.
According to Axios, one person was arrested in connection with the attack.
Footage from the scene shows the suspect, shirtless and holding what appears to be Molotov cocktails yelling “End Zionists” and ”Palestine is free.”
The victims’ injuries range from very serious to minor, Reuters reported.
“Run For Their Lives,” the organizing group for the walk, emphasized the peaceful nature of their event. “This is not a protest; it is a peaceful walk to show solidarity with the hostages and their families, and a plea for their release,” the group stated. The walk commenced at 1:00 p.m. at Pearl Street and 8th Street, proceeding along the mall with a planned stop at the courthouse for a video presentation.
The Anti-Defamation League said on X that it was “aware of reports of an attack at today’s Boulder Run for Their Lives event.”
It added that the event in question was a “weekly meeting of Jewish community members to run/walk in support of the hostages” who were kidnapped during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Visual evidence from the scene includes what appears to be a burn scar in front of the old courthouse and a person being transported on a stretcher, according to CBS Colorado.
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said in a press conference after the attack that police received calls that there was a “man with a weapon” near the county courthouse on 13th and Pearl St. and that “people were being set on fire.”
When police arrived at the scene shortly thereafter, they encountered “multiple victims” with injuries “consistent with burns,” Redfearn said.
The victims were evacuated to a nearby Boulder Community Health medical center for treatment, he stated, adding that a number of them apparently suffered “life-threatening” injuries.
FBI agents are now actively involved in the ongoing investigation.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis posted on X, “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. While details emerge, the state works with local and federal law enforcement to support this investigation. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said, “Terrorism against Jews does not stop at the Gaza border – it is already burning the streets of America. Today, in Boulder, Colorado, Jewish people marched with a moral and humane demand: to return the hostages. In response, the Jewish protesters were brutally attacked, with an attacker throwing Molotov cocktails at them. Make no mistake – this is not a political protest, this is terrorism. The time for statements is over. It is time for concrete action to be taken against the instigators wherever they may be.”
US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident, said a White House official. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the country was “united in prayer for the victims”, adding, “Terror has no place in our great country.”
