(JTA) — An 82-year-old victim of the firebombing attack at a Boulder, Colorado demonstration for Israeli hostages has died from her wounds.
The victim, Karen Diamond, “died tragically as a result of the severe injuries that she suffered in the attack,” according to a statement released by the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office.
Diamond is one of 29 targets in the June 1 attack, of whom 13 suffered physical injuries, according to an amended complaint by the district attorney’s office. The suspect in the firebombing attack, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, will now face two counts of murder as a result of Diamond’s death.
Soliman was indicted on 12 hate crime counts last week, and his lawyer entered a not guilty plea for him Friday. He is accused of trying to kill eight people at the attack on the demonstration, Run for Their Lives, in which he threw two molotov cocktails at the group.
As news of Diamond’s passing broke, several major Jewish organizations released statements expressing condolences for her passing and renewing calls for increased security for Jewish gatherings.
“Karen Diamond, who was severely injured in the antisemitic terror attack on a peaceful demonstration in Boulder earlier this month, has died from her wounds,” wrote the American Jewish Committee in a post on X. “We send our deepest condolences to her family. May her memory be a blessing. 13 other people were injured in this brutal assault on the group advocating for the remaining hostages held by Hamas.”
“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Karen Diamond, who was critically injured during the peaceful march in Boulder calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas. May her memory be a blessing,” wrote the Secure Community Network, an organization that coordinates security for Jewish institutions nationwide, in a post on X.
“We pray for the full recovery of the other victims. This senseless murder is another painful reminder of the unprecedented threat environment the Jewish community faces in North America,” the post continued.
Diamond, a longtime member of Bonai Shalom congregation in Boulder, is survived by husband Lou, sons Andrew and Ethan, their wives, and five grandsons. “This event and the tragic loss of someone who has given so much of herself over the years to the Bonai community and beyond, has impacted us all and we are sad and horrified,” the congregation’s rabbi, Marc Soloway, said in a statement.
Soliman also faces 118 charges, including 28 counts of attempted murder, in Colorado state court. Soliman, an Egyptian national who officials say had been illegally living in the United States, did not speak at the federal hearing last week, and he listened to translations provided by an Arabic interpreter through headphones, according to the Associated Press.
