Man pleads guilty to Colorado firebombing, groups call for family reprieve

June 2025 attack targeted supporters of Israeli captives in Gaza; Advocates say family of assailant unjustly targeted.Mohamed Soliman, accused of attacking demonstrators who had gathered in support of Israeli captives held in Gaza in Colorado, has pleaded guilty to murder charges.The plea on Thursday was accompanied by renewed calls for the administration of US President Donald Trump to cease efforts to deport Soliman’s family, who authorities have said had no prior knowledge of the attack that they have roundly condemned.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Boulder, Colorado attack: What we know, who are the suspect and victims?list 2 of 3Colorado rally attack suspect charged with federal hate crime in USlist 3 of 3Family of suspect in Colorado firebomb attack held in immigration custodyend of listThe family had been the longest held in US immigration detention under Trump’s second term before their release in late April. The administration has pledged to continue to pursue deportation.Soliman has faced more than 100 state criminal charges related to the June 2025 attack. The video showed him throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators gathered in Boulder, Colorado. An 82-year-old woman, Karen Diamond, later died from wounds sustained during the attack.The 46-year-old Egyptian citizen pleaded guilty to two different categories of murder charges connected to Diamond’s death. He was sentenced to life in prison.He has also been charged with federal hate crime crimes.In a statement read in court by a prosecutor, Diamond’s sons asked that Soliman not be allowed to see his family again “since he is responsible for our mother never seeing her family again”.Andrew and Ethan Diamond said their mother suffered “indescribable pain” for more than three weeks before her death.“In those weeks, we learned the full meaning of the expressions living hell and fate worse than death,” Diamond’s sons said in the statement.