The FBI says it is investigating a violent assault on individuals in Colorado who were honoring the Gaza hostages as a possible act of terror. The chief of the Boulder police department says “multiple” people were left burned in an attack by what eyewitnesses said was a “self-proclaimed Palestinian.” 

The attack began just before 1:30 p.m. local time at Boulder, Colorado, outside the county courthouse. At the time, a small group was honoring the hostages still being held by Hamas at Gaza. The weekly Sunday walk to honor those detained has been going on every weekend since October 7, 2023. 

“When we arrived, we encountered multiple victims that were injured with injuries consistent with burns and other injuries,” the Boulder police chief, Steve Redfearn, said at a press conference after the suspect was taken into custody. 

“A suspect was pointed out to our officers on the scene. Our officers immediately encountered that suspect, who was taken into custody without incident,” Mr. Redfearn said. 

The police did not disclose the suspect’s identity. Mr. Redfearn said he had been taken to the hospital with minor injuries. 

“There’s a lot more we’re investigating right now before I’m able to release information on that person,” Mr. Redfearn added. He says they are investigating a “vehicle of interest.”

The police chief confirmed that “dozens and dozens” of law enforcement from the local, state, and federal levels were on the scene. An evacuation area has been set up downtown. 

The deputy director of the FBI, Dan Bongino, said on X that the attack is now being investigated as a potential act of terror. 

“FBI personnel are on the scene in Boulder, Colorado, along with local law enforcement,” Mr. Bongino says. “We are investigating this incident as an act of terror, and targeted violence. All of the necessary assets will be dedicated to this investigation.”

Mr. Redfearn said that the suspect was an adult male, but offered no other identifying information. Video of the aftermath of the assault quickly began circulating online, including eyewitness accounts. 

One X user who claims to have been at the site of the attack when the burnings began says the man was a “Self proclaimed Palestinian” who was “lighting people on fire with gasoline (from gardening tool) and throwing Molotov cocktails. Burned about 6 people aged mostly over 70.”

In one video of the alleged attacker, he is seen holding two bottles filled with clear liquid. Inside the bottles are what appear to be rags. The ground near the man was set on fire, as one victim laid motionless on the sidewalk as others administered first aid. 

“How many children have you killed?” the alleged attacker is seen screaming at the crowd. When a police officer approaches the man with his weapon drawn, the suspect lies down before being taken into custody.