(The Center Square) – Mohamed Sabry Soliman has been officially charged with first-degree murder, following the death of 82-year-old Karen Diamond.
Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national illegally in the country, wounded Diamond and 14 others on June 1 at what authorities say was a terrorist attack at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado. Diamond died from her injuries on June 25.
“This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia also ruled that Soliman’s wife and five children can be deported, officially dismissing a legal challenge filed by the family to halt their deportations.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained Soliman’s family just days after the attack. At the time of the arrests, the White House said the family members could be deported immediately.
Hours after the announcement of their potential deportations, a federal judge blocked their deportation order, citing due process. They remained in ICE custody at that time.
Garcia declared in his ruling that “the court finds that petitioners’ habeas proceeding and their claims in this case must be and hereby are dismissed without prejudice. This case is closed.”
The Trump administration applauded that decision, but has not yet announced formal plans to deport the family.
“This is a proper end to an absurd legal effort on the plaintiff’s part,” McLaughlin added. “Just like her terrorist husband, she and her children are here illegally and are rightfully in ICE custody for removal as a result.”
Soliman faces dozens of charges, both federal and state. Those charges include first-degree assault and committing a hate crime. If convicted on all charges, Soliman will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.
Soliman had long premeditated the attack at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, authorities said at a news conference in June.
“He had been planning this attack for a year,” said Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado. “He acted because he hated what he called ‘the Zionist group.’”
The attack started at 1:26 p.m. on June 1 when Soliman allegedly attacked more than a dozen people with Molotov cocktails and a homemade flamethrower.
According to reports, Soliman was heard yelling, “Free Palestine” during the attack.
Soliman told law enforcement that “he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead.” He also allegedly said that he had no regrets for his actions and would “do it again.”
Soliman has already appeared in court twice and his bond was set at $10 million. The next state hearing in Soliman’s case will occur on July 15.
