An organizer with Run For Their Lives, which holds weekly walks to raise awareness of Israeli hostages, told 9NEWS five people were burned in the attack.
BOULDER, Colo. — A suspect is in custody after an attack injured multiple people on the Pearl Street Mall Sunday afternoon, Boulder police chief Stephen Redfearn said.
Redfearn said around 1:26 p.m., police got multiple calls about people being set on fire in the area of the courthouse, at 1235 Pearl Street. Officers found multiple victims with burns and other injuries.
Miri Kornfeld, an organizer with Stand With Us, which holds weekly walks to raise awareness of Israeli hostages, told 9NEWS the group was walking on Pearl Street on Sunday afternoon. When they arrived at the historic courthouse in the area of 13th and Pearl streets, a man was waiting there with bottles, Kornfeld said. He threw the bottles, and five people were burned, including one woman who was badly burned and had to roll on the ground to put the fire out, she said.
People on the scene pointed out a suspect to officers, Redfearn said, and that man was taken into custody without incident. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, Redfearn said. Police are not yet releasing his name.
“There’s a lot more we’re investigating right now before I am able to release information on that person,” Redfearn said in an update at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Redfearn said investigators are still working to determine how many people were injured. Multiple people were taken to Boulder Community Hospital, and some were transferred to other hospitals, Redfearn said.
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora said they have received two patients from the attack.
Evacuation area
As of 3:30 p.m., police had evacuated the area bordered by Broadway to the west, Pine Street to the north, 16th Street to the east and Walnut Street to the south.
“This area is not safe yet,” Redfearn said in the 4 p.m. news conference. “We’re dealing with a vehicle of interest. We’re dealing with a large area that we are making sure it’s safe before we allow people to come back into the scene.”
Colorado leaders react
Gov. Jared Polis said in a social media post he is “closely monitoring” the situation in Boulder.
“My thoughts go out to the people who have been injured and impacted by this heinous act of terror. Hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable,” Polis said.
From his personal account, the governor said, “As the American Jewish community continues to reel from the horrific antisemitic murders in Washington, D.C., it is unfathomable that the Jewish community is facing another terror attack here in Boulder, on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot no less. Several individuals were brutally attacked while peacefully marching to draw attention to the plight of the hostages who have been held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 604 days. I condemn this vicious act of terrorism, and pray for the recovery of the victims.”
“My thoughts are with those injured and impacted by today’s attack against a group that meets weekly on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall to call for the release of the hostages in Gaza,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.
“From what we know, this attack appears to be a hate crime given the group that was targeted. I have been in touch with Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty and have offered support from the Attorney General’s Office,” the statement continued.
“People may have differing views about world events and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but violence is never the answer to settling differences. Hate has no place in Colorado. We all have the right to peaceably assemble and the freedom to speak our views. But these violent acts—which are becoming more frequent, brazen, and closer to home—must stop and those who commit these horrific acts must be fully held to account.”
FBI investigating ‘targeted terror attack’
The FBI is investigating the attack, according to a social media post from agency director Kash Patel.
“We are aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,” Patel said in the post.
Redfearn said Boulder police are not calling the attack a terror attack “at this point.”
“It’s way too early to speculate motive,” Redfearn said.
