DC police maintain presence at religious sites, focus on Jewish institutions after Boulder incident

Police increase security around Jewish institutions after Colorado attack

Police are strengthening security at institutions of Jewish faith across the region amid attack in Boulder, Colorado.

WASHINGTON - D.C. Police say they have maintained their presence at religious institutions across the District after a man in Boulder, Colorado with a makeshift flamethrower yelled "Free Palestine" and hurled an incendiary device into a group that had assembled to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza.

The incident left eight people injured, some suffering burns. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is expected to face charges in connection with the attack that the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act.

DC cops keep presence at religious sites after Boulder incident

D.C. Police say they have maintained their presence at religious institutions across the District after a man in Boulder, Colorado with a makeshift flamethrower yelled "Free Palestine" and hurled an incendiary device into a group that had assembled to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza.

DC police maintain patrols

READ MORE: Boulder, Colorado attack suspect: What we know

What they're saying:

"We are actively coordinating with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to share information and monitor intelligence in order to help safeguard residents, businesses, and visitors in the District of Columbia," the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement on Sunday.

Focus on Jewish institutions

"At this time, there are no known threats to the District," the statement continued. "However, MPD has maintained an increased presence at religious institutions across the city, with particular attention to Jewish institutions."

Montgomery County’s assistant police chief tells Fox 5 they’ve heightened security measures. Fairfax County likewise says it’s boosting patrols around synagogues.

Police in the National Capital Region have been on heightened alert against hate crimes during WorldPride celebrations. Thomas Manger, retired chief of both Montgomery and U.S. Capitol Police, says so-called lone wolf attacks are the hardest to stop.

"We continue to have extra patrols at our sites that involve Jewish schools, places of worship, any type of gathering that we are made aware of,"
 said Asst. Chief Darren Francke, Montgomery County Police.

DC police urge anyone that observes suspicious activity to contact MPD's Real Time Crime Center at 202-727-9099, text 50411, or submit a report online at iwatch.dc.gov.

The backstory:

Next week marks 16 years since an 88-year-old man opened fire on the Holocaust Museum and murdered Special Police Officer Stephen Johns as he protected visitors and staff.

The 2009 Holocaust Museum shooting — by an anti-Semitic attacker who later died after being shot — is still a reminder of the threat of hate crimes directed at Jewish institutions.