By COLLEEN SLEVIN

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Several people were injured and some may have been set on fire at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, police said. Police said a man was taken into custody in the attack that the FBI immediately described as a “targeted terror attack.”

Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed.

“It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,” he said.

The Boulder attack took place at a popular pedestrian mall known for attracting tourists and college students. On Sunday, demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives had gathered to call for the release of hostages who remain in Gaza. The group has multiple chapters across the world that regularly meet to walk to advocate for hostage releases.

Sunday’s attack also occurred as law enforcement authorities in the U.S. grapple with a spike in antisemitic violence. And last week, a man was arrested on charges in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers and shouted “Free Palestine” as he was being led away by police.

Boulder police said there were “several victims” in the attack. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor.

Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the pedestrian mall.

“Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was “closely monitoring” the situation, adding that “hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.”

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Two people who were shot Friday night following a Wayzata High School graduation ceremony held on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis have been released from the hospital, university officials said.

The two men, ages 49 and 19, were injured in a 8:20 p.m. shooting Friday outside Mariucci Arena following the ceremony.

A suspect in the shooting is in custody. The investigation by university police, Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is continuing.

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The Gophers football program stacked up five commitments to its 2026 recruiting class on Sunday.

Two offensive linemen were the first to join next year’s class during the U’s big official visit weekend in Dinkytown.

Mataalii Benjamin, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound tackle from Lehi, Utah, picked Minnesota over more than 15 offers, including Nebraska, Utah, Oklahoma State, Washington and others. The three-star prospect is the second commit from Utah, a state usually untapped by the Gophers. He had other visits planned with Nebraska, Arkansas and Utah.

Daniel McMorris, a 6-5, 255-pound tackle from Norman, Okla., chose the U over more than 20 offers, including Wisconsin, Kansas State, Iowa State, Stanford, Oregon State and others. The three-star prospect is the fourth O-lineman in the class; four-star Andrew Trout of Cold Spring joined last year and three-star Gavin Meier of Janesville, Wis., put himself in the group this spring.

The U added three defensive players next.

Angel Luciano III, a 6-3, 225-pound linebacker from Harrisbugh, Pa., took Minnesota over a group of Big Ten competition, including Michigan State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland as well as Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and more. The three-star recruit is the second linebacker in 2026 class, joining Hudson Dunn of Peoria, Ariz.

Aaden Aytch, who is listed at 6-4 and 220 pounds out of Lafayette, Ind., flipped his commitment from Northern Illinois to the Gophers. The three-star defensive end with a 6-7 wingspan pledged to Minnesota before scheduled visits at Iowa, Kentucky, Purdue and Michigan State later in June.

Anthony Charles, a 6-5, 200-pound edge rushers from McDonald, Pa., picked the Gophers over offers from Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State and others. With a wingspan approaching 7 feet, Charles had visits scheduled with the Badgers and Nittany Lions before committing to the U while on campus this weekend.

Minnesota’s class now has 15 total pledges for next season.

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NONPROFITS

Catherine Penkert

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, a St. Paul-based advocate for and provider of affordable housing, announced the appointment of Catherine Penkert as chief of staff. Penkert most recently served as vice president of operations at business development group Greater MSP, and before that served as director of the St. Paul Public Library and as a member of the St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter‘s Cabinet.

DEVELOPMENT

The Opus Group, a Minneapolis-based national commercial real estate developer, announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Murnane will retire at the end of 2026 after 38 years with the company. Matt Rauenhorst, currently president and CEO of Opus Development Co., will succeed Murnane. Phil Cattanach, formerly of Opus, will return to assume the role of president and CEO at Opus Development upon Rauenhorst’s succession.

GOVERNMENT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the appointment of Kurt Blomgren as state executive director for the Farm Service Agency in Minnesota, a provider of financing for farmers. Blomgren is a fourth-generation family farmer from Butterfield, Minn.

HEALTH CARE

Children’s Minnesota, a Twin Cities-based chain of hospitals and clinics focused on pediatric care, announced the following leadership changes after the May 9 retirement of Dr. Susan Sencer: Dr. Aimee Sznewajs succeeds Sencer as clinical vice president of specialty pediatrics; Dr. Anupam Kharbanda, formerly clinical vice president of critical care services, becomes vice president of clinical innovation and transformation; Dr. Tim Lander, clinical vice president of surgery, assumes responsibility of critical care services, and Dr. Gigi Chawla, clinical vice president of general pediatrics, takes on the additional role of vice president of professional staff affairs.

HONORS

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced it has named Brittany Howard of Victory Business Solutions in Minneapolis as its Minnesota Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Victory provides accounting and tax services, prioritizing women- and minority-owned small businesses.

LAW

Faegre Drinker announced that attorney Wagma Gharwal has joined the firm’s finance and restructuring group as counsel in the Minneapolis office. Gharwal joins from financial services company Deluxe, where she served as director of contract strategy and management.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

RION, a Rochester, Minn.-based clinical-stage developer of regenerative medicine for exosome-based therapeutics, announced the addition of Suneet Varma as senior adviser to its leadership team. Varma previously was global and U.S. president at Pfizer Oncology. RION is a spinoff of Mayo Clinic.

MANUFACTURING

GF Building Flow Solutions Americas, an Apple Valley-based manufacturer of Uponor-branded indoor plumbing products, announced the promotion of John Reutter to president. Reutter joined the organization in 2018 as vice president of finance.

MILITARY

The Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division “Red Bulls” announced the installation of U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Sharkey as commanding general, succeeding Army Maj. Gen. Charles Kemper, who will serve as special assistant to the director of the National Guard Bureau for the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center.

NONPROFITS

Aeon, a Minneapolis-based provider of affordable housing, announced that Eric Anthony Johnson has stepped down as president and CEO, effective May 2. Caroline Horton, Aeon’s chief financial officer, is serving as interim CEO. … Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, an Owatonna, Minn.-based donor-supported organization investing in 20 south-state counties, announced the appointment of Benya Kraus as president and CEO, effective June 16, succeeding Tim Penny. Kraus most recently served as network advancement director at Resource Rural, a national community grant-securing organization.

SPONSORSHIPS

U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, announced its partnership with the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, to be held in Minnesota from June 20-26, 2026. U.S. Bank is both the Official Volunteer Sponsor and the Official Competitive Cheer Sponsor of the USA Games.

TECHNOLOGY

Saltbox Mgmt, a Minneapolis-based provider of business software within the Salesforce ecosystem, announced the appointment of Brian Wagner as chief revenue officer. Wagner most recently served as vice president of revenue and commerce cloud specialists at Salesforce.

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