AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour."

Federal and state prosecutors have charged a man with 16 counts of attempted murder and with a hate crime after he allegedly set fire to demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, yesterday who were marching in support of Israeli hostages.

Twelve people were hurt.

At least two are still in the hospital.

And, today, the Trump administration has condemned the attacker both for his alleged crimes, but also for his legal status, saying he overstayed his visa.

Laura Barron-Lopez has our report.

(SHOUTING) LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Dramatic cell phone video showed a chaotic scene of people rushing to treat burn victims outside the courthouse in downtown Boulder after a man set fire to a group of pro-Israel demonstrators who held weekly walks to raise awareness about Israeli hostages.

WOMAN: Everybody, get back.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: An organizer with the group Run for Their Lives described his horror.

MAN: You want to help them, and then this is when we all retreated and realized that he doesn't care.

He's there to harm as much as possible.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Law enforcement said the suspect, who has been identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, used a makeshift flamethrower and other incendiary devices on the crowd before he was taken into custody.

ALEX OSANTE, Eyewitness: I saw fire.

I saw people falling and screaming and crying and tripping.

He had three Molotov cocktails.

One of them, he threw inside of a group at the group, and one lady lit on fire from head to toe.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: The FBI said he had at least 16 more Molotov cocktails in his possession.

Eyewitnesses said he shouted "Free Palestine" and anti-Israel slurs.

Today, prosecutors charged with a federal hate crime and at the state level 16 counts of attempted murder.

J. BISHOP GREWELL, Acting U.S. Attorney For the District of Colorado: We fully intend to hold Mr. Solomon accountable for his actions.

And these charges are the first step.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: And new court documents today revealed Soliman confessed to police that he planned his attack for a year, saying he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wish they were all dead.

And he said he would do it again.

PHIL WEISER (D), Colorado Attorney General: This has every single sign of being a hate crime.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Colorado's attorney general and FBI leaders signaled that Soliman's intent was clear.

MARK MICHALEK, FBI Special Agent in Charge: This is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism.

Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: Authorities scoured for evidence today, both at the suspect's alleged residence and into his background.

For now, they believe he acted alone.

A Department of Homeland Security official said Soliman was living in the U.S. illegally.

After arriving legally in 2022, he overstayed his tourist B-2 visa.

President Trump today seized upon that on his social media, writing: "This is yet another example of why we must keep our border secure."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the attack, saying the victims were targeted simply because they were Jews.

One of the victims was a Holocaust survivor, according to a Justice Department official.

MARK MICHALEK: Hate-fueled acts of violence have no place in our community, and we will use every tool and resource available to hold those who commit such acts fully accountable.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: This week's attack is the latest in a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States, marking the second attack in his many weeks.

Last month, two Israeli Embassy staffers were murdered outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. That suspect also shouted "Free Palestine" as he was being arrested.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Laura Barron-Lopez.