Latest news with #flamethrower
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Wife of Colorado terror suspect makes desperate plea from ICE detention
The wife of an Egyptian national accused of hurling makeshift flamethrowers at pro-Israel protesters has issued a desperate plea from an ICE facility where she and her five children are being held. Hayam El Gamal, 43, and her children were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on June 3 - just days after her husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, allegedly attacked a demonstration honoring the October 7 victims who are still being held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza. A dozen people between the ages of 52 and 88 were injured in the attack, which federal prosecutors believe Soliman planned out over the course of a year - driven by his anger toward Israel and his animosity toward 'Zionists.' The terror suspect is now facing 118 state charges, including attempted murder, as well as a federal hate crime charge for the assault. In a statement on Wednesday, El Gamal insisted she and her children had no idea what her husband was reportedly planning as she begged Americans to push for her and her family's release. 'My children and I are in total shock over what they say my husband did in Boulder, Colorado earlier this month,' she said in the statement released by her Michigan-based immigration attorney, Eric Lee. 'So many lives were ruined that day. There is never an excuse for hurting innocent people,' El Gamal said from the Dilley Family Detention Center in Texas. 'We have been cooperating with the authorities, who are trying their best to get to the bottom of this. We send our love to the many families who are suffering as a result of the attack.' She then went on to question why she and her children are being punished for the actions of her husband and their father. 'Why punish any of us, who did nothing wrong?' El Gamal said, noting that on the night of June 3 she and her five children were put on a flight and transferred to Colorado to the Texas-based facility. Her eldest daughter, Habiba Soliman, has since turned 18 at the ICE detention center, while her seven year old and 15 year old also have upcoming birthdays. At the detention center, El Gamal said the family is 'treated like animals by the officers who told us we are going to be punished for what my husband is accused of doing,' and claimed that her youngest children were 'forced to watch officials rough up' another detainee. 'They cried and cried, thinking they would be roughed up, too.' She also claimed that the conditions at the Dilley Family Detention Center are inhumane, and detainees are always being watched and woken up in the middle of the night. Now, the mother-of-five says all her children want 'is to be home, to be in school, to have privacy, to sleep in their own beds, to have their mother make them a home cooked meal, to help them grieve and get through these terrible weeks.' 'But instead, we are here, in jail in Texas, where you can't be human,' El Gamal said. She also claimed she and her family have 'tried to do everything right' since they arrived in the United States on a visa in August 2022, noting that they learned English, found work and were good neighbors 'cooking food for those around us regardless of whether they are Muslim, Christian or Jewish. 'I do not judge anyone based on his religion. If your heart is good, that's enough,' El Gamal continued, arguing she just wants 'to give my children good lives. 'It has been two weeks in jail, how much longer will we be here for something we didn't do? How much longer until the damage to my children is irreversible?' she said. 'It has been so hard for me to stay strong for my kids. I'm so tired. 'I ask the American people, with all my heart, to please listen to our story and help us,' she pleaded. Meanwhile, her attorney is fighting to get the family to remain in the United States - arguing that it is unclear why they are being detained. In court documents filed last week, federal prosecutors note that the family entered the United States with B1 visitor visas in 2022, which are meant to be used for business purposes, such as conferences, according to KDVR. Soliman then filed for asylum on September 29, 2022, listing his wife and five children as dependents - and he was granted a work authorization in March 2023. That asylum claim is still pending, according to a petition provided to a federal judge last week, which also noted that El Gamal is a network engineer with a pending EB2 visa - which is given to professionals with advanced degrees. But Lee argued to CNN, 'The issue here is whether they can be detained when the government has explicitly stated that its reason for detaining them is not because of their visa stays, but is because of their relationship to their husband/father.' In fact, the family had been set for expedited removal following Soliman's attack, which would allow immigration officials to remove them without a hearing before an immigration judge. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted at the time that her agency was 'investigating to what extent [Soliman's] family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it.' However, El Gamal has not been charged with any wrongdoing, Lee notes. 'The government can't detain individuals for unlawful purposes,' he said, as a federal judge approved his request to extend a temporary restraining order issued by a different judge on June 4. Biden-appointed US District Court Judge Gordon Gallagher ruled at the time that deporting them without adequate process could cause 'irreparable harm.' The order has now been extended for another 14 days, during which the family is expected to have an immigration hearing. has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment. My name is Hayam El Gamal. My five children and I are in total shock over what they say my husband did in Boulder, Colorado earlier this month. So many lives were ruined on that day. There is never an excuse for hurting innocent people. We have been cooperating with the authorities, who are trying their best to get to the bottom of this. We send our love to the many families who are suffering as a result of the attack. My kids and I were arrested by ICE on June 3, put on a flight to Texas in the middle of the night and have now been in an immigration jail in Texas for two weeks. This includes my two four-year-old children, my seven-year-old, my fifteen-year-old, and my oldest daughter, who just turned eighteen in jail. We are grieving, and we are suffering. We are treated like animals by the officers, who told us we are being punished for what my husband is accused of doing. But why punish me? Why punish my four-year-old children? Why punish any of us, who did nothing wrong? Since coming to America three years ago, we have tried to do everything right. We got work permits. We learned English. My daughter and I volunteered teaching English to other immigrants, to help them become more comfortable in America. We have always tried to be good neighbors, cooking food for those around us regardless of whether they are Muslim, Christian or Jewish. I do not judge anyone based on his religion. If your heart is good, that's enough. All I want is to give my children good lives. My oldest daughter volunteered at a hospital; she has a 4.5 GPA and wants to become a doctor, to help people in this country. My kids want to go to school, they want to see their friends and deal with their grief from recent weeks. But here they can't sleep. They cry throughout the day, asking me, 'When will we get to go home?' When we were first detained, my children were forced to watch officials rough-up another detainee, and they cried and cried, thinking they would be roughed-up, too. Now my seven-year-old is about to have her birthday in jail, and my fifteen-year-old, too. All they want is to be home, to be in school, to have privacy, to sleep in their own beds, to have their mother make them a home-cooked meal, to help them grieve and get through these terrible weeks. But instead, we are here, in jail in Texas, where you can't be human. Where you are always being watched. Where you are woken up in the middle of the night by guards and given food fit for animals. Only mothers can truly understand what we are going through. I did everything for my kids. It has been two weeks in jail, how much longer will we be here for something we didn't do? How much longer until the damage to my children is irreversible? It has been so hard for me to stay strong for my kids. I'm so tired. I ask the American people, with all my heart, to please listen to our story and help us.
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How ‘Ballerina' Set People on Fire
When Chad Stahelski, best known as the driving force behind the 'John Wick' franchise, was in high school he volunteered with his local fire department. Over the years the images from that experience stuck in his head, and the former stuntman started to dream up an action sequence involving lots and lots of fire. 'I'm like, 'Wouldn't it be cool if I combined fire and water, and we had a flamethrower fight?' Stahelski, a producer of 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,' said in a video interview. 'Two guys with flamethrowers and they are going to shoot each other.' Watching an early cut of 'Ballerina' he realized he had the ideal vehicle for his fire dreams: It would be a showstopper for the star assassin, Eve, played by Ana de Armas. 'How do I make her look smart? How do I make her look badass? It wasn't about fighting more guys,' he said. 'It's like, OK, let's give her something that really shows a skill set. And that's when we went to fire.' The result is a bravura third-act set piece in which Eve torches her enemies in an Alpine village, going flamethrower to flamethrower with a massive villainous henchman named Dex (Robert Maaser). Instead of using digital flames, 'Ballerina,' directed by Len Wiseman, mostly went for the real thing. According to Stahelski, 90 to 95 percent of the fires onscreen are 'unenhanced real burns.' To accomplish this, Stahelski called in an expert in the world of movie fire, the stuntman Jayson Dumenigo, who developed a long-lasting protective burn gel for stunt performers that recently won him an honor from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Even Dumenigo was skeptical they could accomplish what Stahelski had in mind when he first heard the pitch. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Bawaba
06-06-2025
- Al Bawaba
Colorado attacker faces 600-year jail sentence
Published June 6th, 2025 - 11:12 GMT ALBAWABA - A Colorado court on Thursday charged a man accused of using a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire at a rally commemorating Israeli hostages in Gaza, in addition to attempted murder and other crimes. Also Read Who is Mohamed Sabry Soliman, Colorado attacker? According to American media, state prosecutors said that Egyptian citizen Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is facing more than 600 years in prison if convicted of up to 28 counts of attempted murder. In addition, Reuters revealed that Soliman is accused of a total of 118 charges, including assault, use of incendiary equipment, and animal cruelty for injuring a dog in the attack that happened in Boulder, Colorado. 'Soliman said he took a concealed-carry class and learned to shoot a gun but as a non-citizen was blocked from purchasing a gun, so he turned to Molotov cocktails' Hey look, gun control works! — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) June 3, 2025 According to the FBI, a suspect threw an incendiary device into the group in Colorado and used a "makeshift flamethrower" to attack a group of people that regularly protest in support of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. "The suspect was heard to yell 'Free Palestine' during the attack," a special agent in charge of the Denver field office of the FBI, Mark Michalek, revealed. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Fox News
04-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Visa Debate Intensifies After Boulder Terror Attack
Mohammed Soliman, the man accused of using a makeshift flamethrower to attack Jewish individuals in Boulder, Colorado, is due back in court on Thursday. Soliman, who overstayed a tourist visa that expired in 2023, faces state charges, including attempted murder, as well as a federal hate crime charge. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) joins the Rundown to condemn the attack and explain how the Biden Administration's lax immigration policies have created a climate where acts of violence similar to what we saw on Sunday are more likely. Additionally, Rep. Jordan weighs in on the debate over the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' and addresses questions surrounding former President Joe Biden's decline. A recent study on fentanyl-related deaths across the United States has shown a 30% decline from 2022 to 2024. Part of the decline can be attributed to experienced community members, nurses, and emergency responders, who are taking action to address the crisis. Senior scientist and medical researcher Dr. Nabaroon Dasgupta joins the podcast to discuss the decline and what synthetic opioids remain a concern to Americans. Plus, commentary from Seattle radio host, Jason Rantz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
The Guardian
03-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Family of suspect in Colorado fire attack taken into custody of US immigration
US immigration authorities have taken into custody the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the man who allegedly used a flamethrower to attack a Colorado rally for Israeli hostages, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday. Twelve people were wounded in Boulder on Sunday when the 45-year-old allegedly used incendiary devices to attack people demonstrating for the release of hostages in Gaza in what the FBI has deemed an 'act of terrorism'. During the attack, Soliman allegedly targeted Zionists and shouted 'Free Palestine'. The Trump administration quickly seized on Soliman's immigration status to push its mass deportation agenda. Soliman was in the US on an expired tourist visa after entering the country in 2022 from Egypt. Trump has blamed the attack on his predecessor, arguing it was the result of Joe Biden's 'ridiculous Open Border Policy'. Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, announced on Tuesday that immigration agents were taking Soliman's wife and five children into custody, and that federal officials are investigating whether his family knew about his plans. Soliman allegedly planned the attack for more than a year and initially intended to kill everyone at the rally but did not carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before', according to a police affidavit. He told authorities he had originally planned to use a gun but was unable to buy one because he was not a US citizen. Soliman faces numerous state and federal charges, including 16 state counts of attempted murder, 18 related to the use of an incendiary device and a federal hate crime charge. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The Associated Press contributed reporting
