82-year-old dies weeks after attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder

One of the 15 victims in the firebombing attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, earlier this month has died, officials with the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office said Monday.

Eighty-two-year-old Karen Diamond died “as a result of the severe injuries that she suffered in the attack,” a spokesperson with the Boulder DA’s Office said in a news release.

Diamond’s family has asked for privacy as they deal with the loss of their family member, the spokesperson said.

Diamond is the first death connected to the June 1 terror attack at the busy outdoor mall in Boulder. Fourteen other people and a dog were also injured in the attack, according to the FBI field office in Denver.

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The 82-year-old woman, along with more than a dozen other people, was demonstrating in front of the Boulder County Courthouse that day to call for the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza when 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, of Colorado Springs, threw a couple of Molotov cocktails at the crowd as he reportedly shouted, “Free Palestine!”

“Based on the tragic death of a victim from injuries suffered in the attack on Pearl Street, the District Attorney’s Office is filing additional charges,” the DA spokesperson said in the release.

Those charges now include two counts of first-degree murder — one for extreme indifference, and the other for intent and after deliberation — the DA spokesperson said, explaining those charges were amended from previous counts that charged the suspect with two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

In Colorado, a defendant accused of killing one person can face multiple murder charges because there are different types of first-degree murder, and if multiple aspects apply to that crime — as in this case — prosecutors can stack more than one charge for a single victim.

Besides the first-degree murder charges, Soliman is now also facing an additional 66 counts after 14 additional victims were identified throughout the course of the investigation, the DA spokesperson said.

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In all, an amended complaint filed by the Boulder DA’s Office now names a total of 29 victims in the attack, 13 of whom were physically injured in the aftermath. The complaint now lists the charges against the suspect as follows:

• Two counts of first-degree murder; Fifty-two counts of attempted first-degree murder;
• Eight counts of first-degree assault;
• Eighteen counts of attempted first-degree assault;
• Two counts of third-degree assault;
• Two counts of using an incendiary device;
• Sixteen counts of attempted use of an incendiary device; and,
• One count of animal cruelty

Because of the first-degree murder charges against him, the perpetrator is now looking at life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted under Colorado law, after the state abolished the death penalty in 2020.

He's also looking at 16-48 years for each attempted first-degree murder charge; 10-32 years for each first-degree assault charge – plus a sentence enhancer if any of the victims were at-risk; 16-48 years for each use of an incendiary device charge; and another 4-12 years for each of the attempted use of an incendiary device charges, according to the DA’s office.

“This horrific attack has now claimed the life of an innocent person who was beloved by her family and friends. Our hearts are with the Diamond family during this incredibly difficult time,” said Boulder DA Michael Dougherty. “Our office will fight for justice for the victims, their loved ones, and the community.”

• JEWISHcolorado has set up a fund to help those who were injured in the attack at the Pearl St. Mall. If you'd like to donate, follow this link.

The defendant was previously charged with a hate crime in federal court in addition to the 184 counts he faces in Colorado court, but the number of hate crime charges has since been updated to 12.

In an unsealed federal indictment filed in District Court of Colorado last week, prosecutors presented evidence retrieved from the suspect’s vehicle that made their case that the alleged attacker targeted the victims based on their perceived national origin.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for July 15 at 1:30 p.m.

This story was originally published by Oscar Contreras with the Scripps News Group in Denver.