FBI releases new video of a suspect planting a pipe bomb near DNC offices on eve of the Capitol riot

WASHINGTON — A harrowing chapter in American history remains shrouded in mystery: Who planted pipe bombs outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in Washington on the eve of the US election? the attack on the Capitol?

In hopes of generating new tips from the public, the FBI is releasing more information about this pipe bomb investigationincluding an estimate that the unknown suspect is approximately 6 feet tall. The agency also posted previously unreleased video of the suspect planting one of the bombs.

A large number of fundamental questions remain unanswered four years later. For starters, investigators have not yet determined whether the suspect is male or female. They also have not made a clear connection between the pipe bombs and the January 6, 2021, rel in the Capitol by a crowd of Donald Trump supporters.

The FBI “cannot operate on assumptions,” said David Sundberg, deputy director in charge of the bureau’s Washington field office.

“Without being able to confirm the identity of the suspect, it is very difficult to definitively determine the motive,” Sundberg told The Associated Press. “It would therefore be difficult for us to say that there is a link, although we cannot say there is not one.”

In the absence of firmer evidence, Republican lawmakers and right-wing media have promoted it conspiracy theories about the pipe bombs. Republicans in the House of Representatives have also criticized security shortcomings and questioned how law enforcement failed to detect the bombs for 17 hours.

“We remain focused on conducting an investigation using all the tools at our disposal,” Sundberg said. “But it is our duty to follow facts and evidence.”

Over the past four years, the FBI has reviewed more than 600 tips, reviewed approximately 39,000 video files and conducted more than 1,000 interviews. Footage shows the suspect wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, a face mask, black gloves and a black and gray pair of Nike Air Max Speed ​​Turf shoes with a yellow logo. The person was also wearing or carrying a backpack containing the bombs.

Surveillance video shows the suspect planting the pipe bombs near the commission’s offices on January 5, 2021 between 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM. No one was injured before the bombs were made safe, but the FBI says either device could have been used. deadly.

Kamala Harristhe vice president-elect at the time, was in the DNC offices when the pipe bomb was found outside the building on January 6 at about 1:05 p.m. Before the bomb was deactivated, the motorcade of then Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi passed the DNC building when she was evacuated from the Capitol, according to House Republicans.

This week, the FBI released a one-minute video showing the suspect sitting on a park bench outside the DNC before planting the first bomb there around 7:54 p.m. The suspect planted the second bomb in an alley behind the RNC at about 8:16 p.m., the FBI says.

The FBI is also releasing close-up images of the type of Nike sneakers the suspect is wearing. According to the FBI, fewer than 25,000 pairs of the same shoe were sold between August 2018 and January 2021.

“Based on clothing, these are probably the most notable or distinguishing features when it comes to the clothing the suspect was wearing,” Sundberg said. “We hope someone recognizes that.”

The FBI used surveillance footage to track the suspect’s movements through Capitol Hill on the night of January 5. The suspect is initially captured on video at the intersection of First Street and North Carolina Avenue around 7:34 p.m. The suspect was last seen on camera driving east on Rumsey Court around 8:18 p.m.

“The suspect in this case covered himself very well at a time when this would not be abnormal, so it did not attract any attention,” Sundberg said, referring to face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video of the suspect was sporadically available and often of poor quality, according to Sundberg. The 17-hour time difference between the planting and the discovery of the pipe bombs made it more difficult to identify potential witnesses, he said.

Authorities previously offered one reward of up to $500,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

President-elect Trump, who returns to the White House on January 20, has repeatedly promised to do this excuse some or many of the rioters who stormed the Capitol. More than 1,500 people have been charged with crimes related to January 6. About 1,100 have been convicted. More than 700 defendants received prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years.

Sundberg said he does not expect the change in administration to change the course of the FBI’s pipe bomb investigation.

“We don’t know who the suspect is,” he added. “And I expect that we will continue to investigate this matter to its logical conclusion and identify a suspect.”