BOULDER, USA — Authorities in Colorado are investigating a violent attack in Boulder that injured multiple people during a pro-Israel demonstration on Sunday, June 1, 2025, an incident the FBI has described as a “targeted terror attack.”
The assault occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time during a weekly community event titled Boulder Run for Their Lives, organised to call for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Witnesses and local media reported that the attacker hurled what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail at participants, igniting flames and causing panic.
Several people sustained burn injuries and were treated at the scene or transported to hospital.
Police confirmed that a suspect, described as a shirtless man seen in videos carrying bottles and shouting anti-Israel slogans, was arrested without resistance.
“We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on X, formerly Twitter.
The White House also confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation.
Police Chief Steve Redfearn, speaking at a press briefing later, declined to immediately attribute a motive to the suspect, stating that it was “way too early to speculate.”
He confirmed that emergency calls had reported “a man with a weapon” and victims “being set on fire.”
“Officers arriving at the scene encountered multiple victims with injuries consistent with burns and other trauma,” Redfearn said.
Videos and images circulating on social media showed black smoke rising above a public park and a visibly agitated man shouting, “End Zionists!” and “Palestine is Free!” at demonstrators wearing red t-shirts.
In one clip, the man appears to pace near burning grass while others rush to help a victim on the ground.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) confirmed that the attack took place during a peaceful walk to raise awareness about hostages taken during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“This is an attack on all of us — and we will not stay silent,” the Israeli-American Council said in a statement condemning the violence as antisemitic and hate-driven.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, described the incident as terrorism: “Terrorism against Jews does not stop at the Gaza border — it is already burning the streets of America,” he said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also labelled the incident a “targeted terror attack,” affirming that “Terror has no place in our great country.”
Sunday’s attack follows the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington nearly two weeks ago, where a suspect reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” before being apprehended.
The Boulder incident adds to growing concerns among Jewish communities in the US over a perceived rise in antisemitic violence amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.
