A man accused of yelling "Free Palestine" and throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza was charged with 118 counts including attempted murder in a Colorado court Thursday, the AP reports. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, who has been jailed since his arrest following Sunday's attack, was advised of the charges during a hearing in Boulder, where he appeared in person. Investigators say Soliman, who posed as a gardener, planned it for a year. The 118 counts include attempt to commit murder, assault in the first and third degrees, use of explosive or incendiary devices, and animal cruelty. He has also been charged with a hate crime in federal court and is jailed on a $10 million cash bond.
A preliminary hearing has been set for July 15 to determine whether the state has enough evidence to move forward. "The charges reflect the evidence that we have regarding this horrific attack that took place and the seriousness of it," Michael Dougherty, the Boulder County district attorney, said at a news conference after the hearing. The attempted murder charges alone could result in Soliman being sentenced to as many as 672 years if convicted, Dougherty said.
Authorities have said 15 people and a dog were victims of the attack. Not all were physically injured, and some are considered victims for the legal case because they were in the area and could potentially have been hurt. The dog was among the injured, Dougherty said. Soliman had intended to kill all of the roughly 20 participants the weekly demonstration at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but he threw just two of his 18 Molotov cocktails while yelling "Free Palestine," police said. Soliman did not carry out his full plan "because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before," police wrote in an affidavit.
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