Victim in Boulder fire attack relieved to hear suspect plead guilty in court

by: Nate Belt, Miyoshi Price

Posted: Oct 29, 2026 / 04:32 PM MDT

Updated: Oct 29, 2026 / 09:29 PM MDT

On Thursday morning, Mohamed Soliman pleaded guilty to 12 federal counts associated with the fire bombing attack on demonstrators showing support for hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

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Soliman originally pleaded not guilty, and the judge accepted his plea change after a hearing in Denver.

Reliving June 1, 2025

During the hearing, victim Ed Victor wrote down two different times while sitting in the courtroom.

“There was something at 10:48 and 10:55,” Victor said.

At 10:48 a.m., Soliman told the judge through a translator that he agreed to his new guilty plea agreement.

At 10:55 a.m., he said the actual words.

“He said, ‘I was guilty’ at 10:55,” Victor said.

Victor said he has been waiting to hear those words since June 1, 2025, when more than a dozen people were injured, with one person and a dog dying from their injuries in the attack.

Nine of the 12 counts Soliman pleaded guilty to were for hate crimes, which were not part of his guilty plea to state-level charges.

Aaron Brooks was among those who witnessed the attack. He said he arrived as the violence unfolded and saw people engulfed in flames.

“I saw him throwing flames. I saw people burning, like literally people on fire,” Brooks said.

Rachel Cohen was also at the gathering with two of her children. She remembers hearing a cracking sound before realizing what was happening.

“And then there was heat, and I turned, and there was a wall of fire,” Cohen said.

Cohen said her first instinct was to push her children out of harm’s way before returning to help others.

Thursday’s federal court hearing

U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly spoke in a press conference after the hearing.

“He has pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes that account for the fact that he was motivated by the fact that he thought these people were Jewish and Israeli, and that is why he did violence that day,” McNeilly said.

Brooks, who also attended Thursday’s federal court hearing, said hearing Soliman acknowledge the antisemitic nature of the attack was significant. 

“It’s very helpful that it has been settled,” Brooks said.

Brooks said the admission matters because it establishes that Soliman targeted people based on their perceived religion and national origin.

The motivation, said Victor, is what he and the rest of the victims needed to hear.

“This was very important to me to feel like, to be here to get this element of closure,” Victor said.

Looking beyond the courtroom

The only victim who died, Karen Diamond, told her family before passing what she hoped would come next.

“Karen expressed that the proper response to this act of pure hatred has to be kindness and love,” McNeilly said.

Victor is now focusing on what is next as well, as what he wrote down in the courtroom isn’t the end of the story.

“This is a chapter in a book that we’re still writing,” Victor said.

For Cohen, returning to Pearl Street has not been easy. She said she eventually returned with her daughter because she wanted her family to feel comfortable visiting the area again.

“Now, I have a more heightened sense of my surroundings. I always sort of did. Now it’s more so,” Cohen said.

Cohen said the experience has made her less likely to dismiss her instincts when something feels wrong.

Brooks said he believes Boulder officials have learned from the attack, but he wants to see more done to protect people attending public events and meetings.

“I think they did, and I think they’re trying. I don’t think they’re trying hard enough,” Brooks said.

He said people should be able to participate in public gatherings and express their beliefs without fearing for their safety.

Cohen said she is relieved the guilty plea means victims and their families will not have to endure a federal trial. 

“I’m glad we don’t need to have a trial. I’m glad that the family that lost their mother and grandmother don’t have to live through these things,” Cohen said.

She acknowledged that while the guilty plea marks progress in the legal process, the emotional impact of the attack remains.

As far as what’s next for Soliman, his sentencing on federal charges will be Jan. 7, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. Both parties are asking for a life sentence plus 50 years consecutive with the life sentence he already received at the state level.”

The city of Boulder provided FOX31 with the following statement after the guilty plea:

Today’s federal court hearing marks another step on the long road toward justice for the victims of the June 1, 2025 antisemitic terror attack in Boulder.

Our hearts are with those in our community who were directly impacted. Today, we are sending care and comfort to the family and friends of Karen Diamond, who died as a result of her injuries; to those still living with deep physical and emotional injuries; and to Boulder’s Jewish community collectively. The strength and courage these survivors and families have shown in the months since the attack is a testament to who they are, and to the community that surrounds them.

We remain grateful to the first responders who took action to help on June 1 during a terrifying, uncertain moment, providing exceptional, professional and compassionate service. We are also grateful to the many community members who stepped up in that moment of crisis to bring water, comfort and support to those on scene.

To ensure that those harmed are never forgotten, a memorial stone marker was placed at the Boulder County Courthouse on June 7, 2026. It will stand as a lasting reminder of those who were victimized, of the Jewish community that was targeted, and of the care Boulder showed in response. It serves as a reminder to our community that violence and terror will never win in Boulder, and that hate is not rewarded.

The attacker wanted division. What Boulder has shown is the opposite. We come together. We uplift one another. We rebuild, as we have done after other terrible days. The Boulder community is strong and resilient. We will not let terror or violence define us; instead, we choose again to be defined by our commitment to community, justice and care for one another.

- City of Boulder spokesperson