In the wake of the terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) called for urgent action on gun control and a national reckoning with violent hatred and extremism.
The man suspected of carrying out the firebomb attack during a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration has been charged with a federal hate crime and numerous state-level offenses, including multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder. According to court documents, 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails into a crowd, injuring 12 people in what authorities are calling an “act of terrorism.”
Investigators say Soliman told them he had “researched on YouTube how to make Molotov cocktails, purchased the ingredients to do so, and constructed them.” State court documents further reveal that Soliman had previously taken a concealed carry class in an effort to obtain a firearm, but resorted to using incendiary weapons after he was denied a gun purchase due to his lack of legal U.S. citizenship.
The attack, which targeted demonstrators marching in solidarity with hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, was reportedly accompanied by the assailant shouting “Free Palestine.”
Raskin, a senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, appeared on MSNBC’s The Weekend: Primetime on Sunday and called the attack a symptom of deeper national crises, including an epidemic of gun violence. He used the moment to press for long-standing Democratic priorities on gun policy reform.
“The safety of the people is the paramount imperative for government,” Raskin said. “People have the right to peacefully assemble, to exercise freedom of speech and religion. We’ve got to take whatever precautions we need to make sure that people can do that.”
He pointed to the Boulder incident as part of a broader national trend.
“Now we’re seeing it in Colorado, but we’ve seen it across the country,” Raskin continued. “We are still in the midst of a gun violence epidemic. So we need to be acting with due concern for human life. I mean, this is why, of course, we have been fighting for universal, violent criminal background checks. We are for a ban on military-style assault weapons in the country. You know, our lax gun laws are a danger to everybody in America.”
TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ SPURS EARLY 2026 CAMPAIGN JABS
The MSNBC segment, hosted by Antonia Hylton, Catherine Rampell, and Ayman Mohyeldin, also touched on the global implications of rising antisemitism and politically motivated violence. Mohyeldin pressed Raskin on the connection between overseas conflicts, particularly the war in Gaza, and increasing domestic tensions.
“It’s profoundly troubling to see all of these violent incidents taking place against the Jewish community,” Raskin responded. “We don’t want wars to spill over and engulf everybody all over the world in violence.”