Colorado attack sends ‘shock waves’ through Las Vegas Jewish community

Reactions poured in Monday from Las Vegas Jewish leaders and others following what the FBI called a “targeted terror attack” in Colorado.

A man armed with a flamethrower and other incendiary devices launched an attack Sunday in Boulder, Colorado, during a demonstration that called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Twelve people were injured in the attack. The suspect, identified by the FBI as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack, according to an FBI agent.

On Monday, Rabbi Sanford Akselrad of Henderson’s Congregation Ner Tamid said hatred anywhere is “a community concern.”

“One person can’t stop it,” said Akselrad, who recently announced his retirement after serving as his congregation’s spiritual leader for nearly four decades. “It takes all of us to say ‘not in my town.’ When something like what happened in Boulder takes place, it sends shock waves through the Jewish community here in Las Vegas and makes us feel more vulnerable.”

Authorities believe Soliman acted alone.

“One may not like what’s going on in Gaza and one may not like the government of Israel,” Akselrad said. “But to take that disagreement out on innocent people in the United States, and in such a violent way, is unconscionable.”

Akselrad said one of the survivors of the attack is a Holocaust survivor.

Stefanie Tuzman, CEO of Jewish Nevada, a nonprofit advocacy organization, said in a statement she was thankful that no victims lost their lives in the attack.

“The intent was clear and the hate was loud,” Tuzman said. “It’s terrifying. I’m sick and exhausted.”

The violence took place during a “Run for Their Lives” walk in Boulder. The group organizes running and walking events to call for the immediate release of Israelis being held in Gaza.

The organization, founded in 2023, said it has over 200 chapters worldwide and has chapters in Las Vegas and Henderson.

In a statement, the organization thanked “law enforcement and fire department” personnel for their quick response on Sunday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the five burn victims for a speedy recovery,” the statement read. “We are so thankful for our “Run for Their Lives” leaders and community members.”

The group gathered Sunday at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder. Witnesses said the suspect first used the flame thrower, then threw two Molotov cocktails into the crowd. Soliman was arrested at the scene.

Video from the scene shows a shirtless Soliman shouting at onlookers while holding two clear bottles containing a transparent liquid. Another video shows a witness shouting: “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails,” as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on the suspect.

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told reporters Monday that authorities uncovered 16 unused Molotov cocktails.

In a statement Monday, Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley condemned the attack.

“There is no place in our country for this kind of hate,” Berkley said in the statement. “It is imperative that our state condemn this behavior that is occurring all too often in our country.”

The American Jewish Congress, also through a statement, referred to the violence in Boulder as a “vicious antisemitic attack.”

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X. The Associated Press contributed to this report.