Fox News host and former prosecutor Trey Gowdy doesn’t want the Colorado attacker to be charged with terror offenses.
Gowdy was reacting to the news that a man armed with a homemade flamethrower and incendiary devices launched a terrifying attack that injured at least eight people in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday.
The suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa, according to Homeland Security officials. Witnesses say Soliman screamed “Free Palestine!” as he unleashed flames into the crowd, which was gathered in support of hostages held by Hamas.
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Federal authorities, including the FBI, are investigating the incident as a targeted act of terrorism. But Gowdy—who served as a federal prosecutor before being elected to Congress—warned against what he sees as an unnecessary complication for the legal case.
“I am not in favor of adding elements to prosecutors,” Gowdy said on America’s Newsroom Monday. “It makes their job more difficult. Why is murder not enough? Why is arson not enough? Why is assault with intent to kill not enough? Why do we have to label things hate crime, terrorism?”
Gowdy, who also served as the district attorney for South Carolina’s Seventh Judicial Circuit, argued that labeling the case as terrorism or a hate crime adds burdensome legal thresholds.
“You’re making the job harder for the prosecutors when you have to prove an extra element,” he said.
“You get federal help no matter what. But when you start adding hate crime, terrorism, yes, it may be true, but why are you making it more difficult for the prosecutor to win in court?”
The victims, ranging in age from 52 to 88, were rushed to hospital but no fatalities have been reported.
