A man who reportedly set people on fire in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday injured several victims— some critically — triggering the evacuation of a large portion of the city’s downtown.
The assailant was arrested, Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said at an afternoon briefing, adding that investigators were gathering more information on him before releasing his name.
Details were scant as police processed the scene, closed businesses and asked people to avoid the area.
While FBI director Kash Patel called it a terrorist attack on social media, Redfearn said at a briefing it “would be irresponsible for me to speculate on a motive.”
The violence broke out around 1:30 p.m., at 13th and Pearl streets on Sunday as crowds of people milled around a pedestrian-only area, Redfearn said.
“The initial callers indicated that there was a man with a weapon and that people were being set on fire,” he told reporters in a livestreamed briefing. Arriving officers “encountered multiple victims that were injured – with injuries consistent with burns, and other injuries.”
X / boulderpolice
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn updates the media about the incident on Sunday. (X / boulderpolice)
The investigation was still in its beginning stages, Redfearn noted.
“This area’s not safe yet,” he said at the briefing. “We’re dealing with a vehicle of interest, we are dealing with a large area that we are making sure it’s safe before we allow people to come back into the scene.”
Witnesses told KCNC-TV that the suspect threw Molotov cocktails at a group of people walking to draw attention to the Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza. Redfearn acknowledged a group of pro-Israel people had been walking peacefully, but did not specifically link the attack to that group. But the Jewish community and the group Run For Our Lives said the attack had been aimed at them, KCNC said.
“We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that an incendiary device was thrown at walkers at the Run for Their Lives walk on Pearl Street as they were raising awareness for the hostages still held in Gaza,” Boulder’s Jewish community told KCNC in a statement. “Our hearts go out to those who witnessed this horrible attack, and prayers for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was “closely monitoring” the situation, adding in a statement that “hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.”
Redfearn asked for the public’s patience as investigators unraveled the details of what had happened.
“What I will say lastly is, this was a beautiful Sunday in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street, and this act is unacceptable,” Redfearn said. “I ask that you join me in thinking about our victims, the families of those victims and everyone affected by this tragedy… our hearts go out to them, and we are going to do everything we can to work as hard as we can throughout the evening to provide more information and get answers to everyone.”
With News Wire Services
