The suspect in the Boulder, Colorado, Molotov cocktail attack tried to buy a handgun at a sporting goods store in November but was denied, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Mohamed Soliman — who was arrested Sunday after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails, injuring 12 — tried to buy the weapon on Nov. 22, 2024, but was denied based on National Instant Criminal Background Check System, according to the bureau.
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The reason for his denial wasn’t disclosed. He didn’t appeal the denial, the bureau said.
About a month later, on Dec. 30, 2024, CBI denied his application for a concealed handgun permit.
PHOTO: Booking photo of 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, the man suspected of carrying out an ‘act of terrorism’ in Boulder, Colorado, June 1, 2025. (Boulder Police Department)
After Soliman was arrested, he allegedly told investigators that he took a concealed carry class to learn how to fire a gun, but “had to use Molotov cocktails [for the attack] after he was denied the purchase of a gun due to him not being a legal citizen,” state court documents said.
Soliman said he used YouTube to learn how to make the Molotov cocktails, documents said. Sixteen unused Molotov cocktails were within “arm’s reach” when he was arrested, the FBI said.
PHOTO: Flowers and a flag at the site of the attack outside the Boulder County Courthouse on June 2, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado. (Chet Strange/Getty Images)
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Soliman is accused of attacking a group advocating for the hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas.
Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime and state charges, including 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder, according to court documents. He appeared in court virtually on Monday. He has yet to enter a plea.
PHOTO: A visitor offers a tribute after leaving a bouquet of flowers at a makeshift memorial for victims of an attack outside of the Boulder County, Colo., courthouse as a light rain falls, June 3, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. (David Zalubowski/AP)
Soliman told police “he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” court documents said. “SOLIMAN stated he would do it (conduct an attack) again.”
He “said this had nothing to do with the Jewish community and was specific in the Zionist group supporting the killings of people on his land (Palestine),” documents said.
PHOTO: An Israeli flag stands in a bed of flowers as caution tape blocks off a deserted Pearl Street on the scene of an attack on demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, in Boulder, Colorado, June 1, 2025. (Eli Imadali/AFP via Getty Images)
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Soliman, a husband and father of five, was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, court documents said.
Soliman has been in the U.S. on an expired tourist visa, officials said. He was granted a work permit, but that had also expired in March.
His wife and children are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the family is being processed for expedited removal, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Soliman allegedly said he had been planning Sunday’s attack for one year but waited until his daughter graduated from high school last Thursday to carry it out, state and federal documents said.
ABC News’ Kevin Shalvey, Emily Shapiro and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
Boulder suspect’s application for concealed handgun permit was denied originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
