The man accused of firebombing a group of demonstrators marching peacefully in Boulder, Colorado, in support of the hostages in Gaza is being charged with first-degree murder after one of the victims died from her injuries, prosecutors announced on Monday. 

Eighty-two-year-old Karen Diamond “died tragically as a result of the severe injuries that she suffered” during the June 1 attack, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office stated, adding: “The family asks for privacy as they continue to grieve.” 

Diamond’s passing was met with an outpouring of support from Boulder locals as well as the broader Jewish community.  

In light of the development, prosecutors raised two first-degree murder charges against 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, both of which pertain to Diamond’s death. The counts are first-degree murder under depraved indifference and first-degree murder with intent after deliberation.

The district attorney’s office further noted that it had identified 14 additional victims and added 66 counts to the state indictment against Mr. Soliman. The amended complaint brings the total number of victims to 29, 13 of whom sustained physical injuries. 

Mr. Soliman was arrested after he hurled Molotov cocktails at a group of demonstrators gathered in downtown Boulder to raise awareness of the Israeli hostages still held in Hamas captivity. The peaceful activists had been staging weekly walks in support of the hostages for nearly two years as part of a national advocacy group, Run For Our Lives. 

According to an indictment, Mr. Soliman planned the firebombing for more than a year and on the day of the attack was disguised as a gardener and equipped with 18 glass bottles filled with flammable liquid. Mr. Soliman allegedly approached the group and threw two ignited Molotov cocktails at them while shouting, “Free Palestine.” 

A handwritten note found in Mr. Soliman’s car described Israel as a “cancer entity” and proclaimed that “Zionism is our enemies untill [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land.” Mr. Soliman later told law enforcement that he targeted the group because it came up on a search for “Zionist” events. 

Mr. Soliman faces nearly 100 state charges, including 52 counts of attempted first-degree murder, eight counts of first-degree assault, 18 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of third-degree assault.

Each attempted murder charge carries a sentence of between 16 and 48 years. If convicted on a first-degree murder charge, Mr. Soliman faces an automatic life sentence. 

Mr. Soliman is an Egyptian national and has been living in the country illegally with his family after overstaying his visa, according to federal authorities. He lived in Colorado Springs and reportedly traveled to Boulder for the attack. 

Last week Mr. Soliman pleaded not guilty to federal hate crimes. He is scheduled to appear in state court on July 15.