FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau has joined local law enforcement in investigating a “targeted terror attack” in Boulder, Colo., on Sunday afternoon. A suspect has been detained,
The Boulder Police Department said officers responded to “reports of several victims” at a pedestrian mall and evacuated several blocks in the area near 13th and Pearl streets. A suspect is in custody, but he has not been publicly identified yet, officials said.
Police said the incident occurred near a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration.
“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 a statement posted to X.
At a press conference, Boulder police said they are not calling the incident a terror attack at this point, noting information is preliminary and a motive has not been determined.
A White House official told NewsNation that President Trump has been briefed on the situation.
The incident took place at approximately 1:26 p.m. local time, after police received calls about a man setting people on fire, police said. Multiple people were injured, but the exact number was not yet known.
The suspect was pointed out to officials and taken into custody without incident. The man was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, according to police.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X that the National Counterterrorism Center has teamed up with law enforcement to investigate the “the targeted terror attack against a weekly meeting of Jewish community members who had just gathered in Boulder, CO to raise awareness of the hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) called the incident a “heinous act of terror.”
“I am closely monitoring the situation in Boulder, and 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 wrote on X.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement the “attack appears to be a hate crime given the group that was targeted.”
The local Boulder Jewish community said in a statement that the incident took place during a walk organized by Run for Their Lives, an organization that aims to raise awareness for hostages still held in Gaza.
“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,” the statement read. “We don’t have all the details of what is unfolding, and we promise to keep our community informed.”
“Our hearts go out to those who witnessed this horrible attack, and prayers for a speedy recovery to those who were injured,” read the statement, which was signed by three rabbis of local congregations, two representatives of the Boulder Jewish Community Center (JCC), and a representative of the University of Colorado Boulder Hillel.
Updated at 7:33 p.m. EDT
