Good Friday morning, Boulder.

Four days after Sunday’s act of terror, Boulder City Council met for the first time last night. In a somber and at times tense meeting, councilmembers voted to suspend open comment — a response to both the recent firebombing and more than a year of increasingly divisive public input, including personal attacks directed at Jewish councilmembers.

The meeting also reignited debate over the city’s statement condemning the attack as antisemitic, which one councilmember did not sign. Two members also voted against suspending open comment. Tensions were on full display. Read our story — you can also watch the raw exchange over the letter, starting at 1:14:25 and running through 1:38:35.

On Wednesday, officials, faith leaders and residents gathered at the site of the attack to denounce antisemitism and affirm Boulder’s resilience.

More, Below the Fold, on the Pearl Street attack:

And other headlines, too:

  • Wildfire help expands: Free home assessments now offered in rural East County.
  • Shakespeare season starts: The Tempest opens Sunday at CU Boulder.
  • Trail kindness: Hiker gives away custom Mt. Sanitas hats to strangers.
  • New mural uplifts: “What does flourishing look like?” debuts downtown.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

– The BRL team

Boulder City Council suspends open comment after attack and rising tensions

In a tense meeting, the mayor said the move is meant to help the city come together after Sunday’s violence, amid a year of increasingly divisive public comment, including personal attacks on Jewish councilmembers. Continue reading…

Leaders unite against antisemitism: ‘Boulder does not break’

Officials and faith leaders gathered at the site of the June 1 firebombing to condemn antisemitism and affirm Boulder’s resolve in the face of hate. Continue reading…

Sunny Saturday ahead before storms return

After another cool and rainy Friday with storms likely through the afternoon, skies will clear overnight. Saturday brings sunshine and warmer temps, with a high near 82 and light, gusty winds — a welcome break from the soggy start to June. But the dry spell won’t last long. There’s a 30% chance of afternoon storms on Sunday, with highs in the mid-70s.

Prosecutors file 118 charges; three victims remain hospitalized

At a court hearing Thursday, prosecutors formally filed 118 charges against Mohamed Soliman, the suspect in Sunday’s antisemitic attack on Pearl Street. The charges include 14 counts of attempted first-degree murder — one for intent and one for extreme indifference per victim — as well as first- and third-degree assault, use and attempted use of incendiary devices, animal cruelty, and multiple crime-of-violence designations under Colorado law.

The case involves 15 victims and one injured dog. Victims range in age from 25 to 88, and three remain hospitalized, up from the previously reported two. Soliman appeared in custody. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 15 at 1:30 p.m., with Soliman waiving his right to an earlier hearing within 35 days. The court also approved a protective order. Read more on BRL.

Police: Suspect was in custody within five minutes

Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn on Thursday released the first official timeline of the emergency response to the attack. According to dispatch records, GPS data and body camera footage, the 911 call came in at 1:26 p.m., and the suspect was in custody by 1:31 p.m, he said.

Fire and medical crews also responded within minutes. A fire battalion chief arrived at 1:31 p.m., with ambulances and paramedic-equipped engines following shortly after. The first air ambulance landed within six minutes of the call, according to the department.

Redfearn said the rapid response allowed life-saving care to begin quickly. The investigation remains active, and police are still seeking additional witnesses. Boulder Reporting Lab’s request for 911 call logs was denied due to the ongoing investigation. Read the full timeline on BRL.

Run for Their Lives to hold joint walk in Boulder and Denver this Sunday

The Boulder and Denver chapters of Run for Their Lives will walk together this Sunday, June 9, at noon, in a show of unity after the June 1 attack. The walk begins at Broadway and Pearl (east side) with a program to follow at the Boulder County Courthouse.

The event overlaps with the Boulder Jewish Festival, which starts at 11 a.m. Organizers encourage the public to attend both.

Ed Victor, who helped extinguish flames on one of the most seriously injured victims, said the walk carries even more meaning now. “It was never a routine,” he said. “Now we have extra intention about it.”

Officials say visitors can expect a strong security presence, including SWAT teams, drones and plainclothes officers. Read more on BRL.

More than 1,000 people pack Boulder JCC for vigil honoring victims

On Wednesday night, an estimated 1,200 people attended a vigil at the Boulder JCC to honor victims of the June 1 attack. Attendees filled the event space, as well as an overflow room set up in the gym.

Several people who were at the Run for Their Lives event for Israeli hostages held in Gaza spoke at the vigil, recounting the moment when the suspect threw two Molotov cocktails into the crowd. They all voiced a determination to continue to march for the hostages. Each recounted their experience during the attack. 

“Suddenly, a crash, a ball of fire, black smoke, the smell, the screams, flames around my feet,” Rachelle Halpern recalled. “For a moment, I thought I would go up in flames. … Immediately, I saw a woman, the woman stood one foot behind me, engulfed in flames from head to toe, lying on the ground.”

A majority of the night was taken up with prayers and reflections from local rabbis, singing and testimony from victims.

Ed Victor, who also survived the attack, did not speak but said he was glad he attended for the chance to connect with friends, old and new. “That was the most meaningful for me,” he said. 

Judge halts deportation of suspect’s family

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the deportation of the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in Sunday’s firebombing attack on Pearl Street, CPR reports. The family was in the U.S. on expired tourist visas with pending asylum applications and had cooperated with police. On Tuesday, they were taken into ICE custody and placed in an expedited removal process typically used for people detained at the border. Legal experts called the move highly unusual and said the family has a right to due process.

Colorado Shakespeare Festival opens Sunday with ‘The Tempest’

The 2025 Colorado Shakespeare Festival kicks off this Sunday, June 8, with a performance of The Tempest at 7 p.m. at CU Boulder’s Roe Green Theatre. This year’s season runs through Aug. 10 and features Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Richard II, along with two sold-out performances of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

Now in its 66th season, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival is the second-longest running Shakespeare festival in the U.S., attracting thousands of visitors to Boulder each summer. The festival will once again offer “double-header Sundays,” allowing theatergoers to catch two shows in one day. Tickets are available online and at the CU Presents Box Office. 

Spreading kindness — and Fractel hats — on Mt. Sanitas

Fractel, the Australia-based hat company, recently featured Boulder’s Judy Seaborn, who’s been quietly giving away their custom-designed trail hats to strangers on Mt. Sanitas.

After selling her seed company, Botanical Interests, Seaborn found a joyful way to give back: handing out free, high-quality Fractel hats to fellow hikers. Inspired by a similar gesture on a trail in Tucson, she partnered with Fractel to create a custom cap embroidered with “Mt Sanitas, Boulder Colorado” and its elevation.

What started with 25 hats has become a personal mission — she’s now given away more than 100, each one gifted with no strings attached.

The goal, she says, is to spark small moments of connection in a place that helped her through some of her hardest times. “If I could bottle up what Mt Sanitas gives me and hand it out, I would,” she said. “But since I can’t, I give out hats instead.” (Reporter Brooke Stephenson was one of those lucky recipients, gifted a hat during a hike up Sanitas.)

New public art mural asks: ‘What does flourishing look like?’

Amid a difficult week in Boulder, a new public art installation on view at the Canyon Gallery at the main library is offering a message of hope and community. Local artist Liz Quan has installed a mural titled “What Does Flourishing Look Like?” — a collaborative piece created with community members during the April eARThworks exhibit at the Boulder Farmers Market.

The mural, made from painted cardboard shapes designed by Quan, was created in partnership with the Doing Good on Purpose initiative. Visitors were invited to express their own visions of flourishing through art.

Courtesy photo

The installation went up this week. Organizers say they hope it offers a moment of reflection and highlights the good things still happening in Boulder.

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