The Denver Gazette’s Matt Kyle reports that Mohamed Soliman pleaded guilty Thursday to 101 state charges tied to the June 1, 2025 Boulder firebombing attack on pro-Israel protesters at Pearl Street Mall. District Judge Nancy Salomone sentenced him to life in prison plus an additional 2,128 years, with nearly every count receiving the maximum sentence and the sentences ordered consecutively.
The article says Soliman plotted the attack for more than a year and threw two Molotov cocktails into a crowd calling for the release of hostages in Gaza. Karen Diamond, 82, later died from her injuries, a dog also died, and 29 other people were injured. Soliman also faces 12 federal hate-crime counts, and federal prosecutors have not yet decided whether to accept a life-sentence plea offer because the death penalty is being considered.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Soliman pleaded guilty to 101 state charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, use of explosives and incendiary devices, and animal cruelty. That is not a “case.” That is a moral crater.
- The sentence was life in prison plus 2,128 years. On paper, that sounds heavy. In reality, there is still no sentence long enough to restore a murdered woman, heal the injured, or erase the terror he brought to Boulder.
- Prosecutors said he plotted the attack for more than a year. This was not some momentary loss of control. This was evil with a calendar.
- The attack targeted people calling for the release of hostages in Gaza. Think about that. A peaceful demonstration, turned into a firebombing, because hatred decided it had permission.
- He still faces federal hate-crime charges, and the death penalty remains under consideration. Good. Some crimes demand that society stop pretending life in a cell is the full measure of justice.
My Bottom Line
Bottom line: the sentence is still too lenient.
Life plus 2,128 years sounds dramatic, and yes, it ensures he will never walk free. Fine. Good. Necessary. But when someone plots for more than a year, throws Molotov cocktails into a crowd, kills an 82-year-old woman, injures dozens more, kills a dog, and terrorizes people peacefully calling for hostages to come home, I am not going to stand here and pretend the punishment feels sufficient.
There are moments when civilized society has to say certain acts are so depraved, so calculated, and so monstrous that the ordinary language of sentencing fails. This is one of those moments. You can add centuries until the calculator smokes, but it still does not balance the ledger.
And spare me the soft-focus courtroom theology about understanding, context, and root causes. Evil exists. Hatred exists. Antisemitism exists. Political violence exists. When it shows up carrying fire, it should be met with the hardest lawful consequence available.
So yes, lock him away forever. Then let the federal case proceed. Let the hate-crime charges stand. And if the death penalty is legally available and supported by the facts, it belongs on the table. Justice should not whisper in a case like this. It should speak clearly enough for every would-be terrorist, fanatic, and coward with a bottle and a match to hear.
Source: The Denver Gazette
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