CNN pundits on the network attempted to slam the FBI after the agency said that the Boulder, Colorado terrorist attack was a terror attack, claiming that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was being "juvenile" and irresponsible for how early he called it an act of terror. The suspect launched the attack at an event that is regularly held to recognize the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.
Egyptian foreign national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested after he was seen with Molotov cocktails in hand after allegedly lighting people on fire over the weekend when they were attending the pro-Israel event.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino posted to X after the incident, "We are investigating this incident as an act of terror, and targeted violence. All of the necessary assets will be dedicated to this investigation. If you have any investigative tips please contact the FBI. And if you aided or abetted this attack, we will find you. You cannot hide."
CNN's Juliette Kayyem claimed that the FBI looked "juvenile" for calling the incident a terrorist and targeted attack while the police chief still had not said as much. She said of Bongino's comments, "It makes the FBI look so juvenile, like, why are you getting ahead of the police chief who – who says, 'I don't know what this is.'"
Former Deputy Director for the FBI, Andrew McCabe, claimed that the agency was being irresponsible for calling it terrorism early on and that the FBI is supposed to "help out the local police department with providing manpower, technology and resources" for an investigation. He then added, being critical of the FBI, "We don't step in and take over and draw conclusions five minutes after the attack about what happened. We reach out to the local authorities, we provide people and we offer assistance in any way that we can."
Despite the attempts from the CNN pundits to smear the FBI, Soliman was seen on video with Molotov cocktails in hand, and flames around, him yelling at a crowd of people as well as burn victims aged 67 to 88 years old.
He yelled, "Free Palestine," during the attack. Additionally, he was heard saying, "You f*cking Zionist kill my people so I kill you!" as well as "How many children have you killed?" according to witnesses and video.