One of the victims of the June 1 firebombing in Boulder has died, the Boulder JCC announced today.
Karen Diamond, 82, was part of the weekly Run For Their Lives walk when Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, attacked the group with Molotov cocktails as it gathered in front of the Courthouse on Pearl Street. He has been charged with attempted murder and hate crimes. Boulder DA Michael Daugherty announced June 3 that he has amended two counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit First Degree Murder to Murder in the First Degree.
“It was a horrific act of terror that has now claimed the life of Karen Diamond,” Daughterty told the IJN, “who was a completely innocent person who was beloved by her family and friends, and tragically died as a result of the injuries she suffered on that day.
Investigators said that Soliman had intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration.
In a court appearance last week, Soliman’s lawyers said they intended to argue that Soliman had targeted the group based on their political beliefs, not national origin.
In 2019, Diamond received Boulder University Women’s Club’s Margaret Willard Award. The club described her as active in a wide variety of community organisations, including playing a major role in Bonai Shalom’s reconstruction after the devastating 2013 flood. She also served on the board of Hadassah and supported the Chautauqua Music Festival, Boulder Philharmonic and many College of Music programs at CU Boulder.
In a note from Jonathan Lev, executive director, and David Paul, board chair, Diamond, who died June 25, was described as a “cherished member of our community, someone whose warmth and generosity left a lasting impact on all who knew her,” in the statement from Jonathan Lev, executive director, and David Paul, board chair. “There are simply no words to properly express the pain of this tragic loss.”
