Washington – In the four years since the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, federal investigators have gathered a wealth of evidence, leading to the arrest of more than 1,500 defendants.
Yet, a key aspect of the events surrounding that day remains a mystery: the identity of the man. planted two pipe bombs On Capitol Hill the night before the riot.
FBI New video and information released Thursday in hopes the leads may lead to new leads. The bureau is again offering a $500,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Overall, the FBI said it had spent thousands of hours investigating the case.
Investigators released fresh security camera video that shows the suspect sitting on a park bench, putting his hands in his bag and planting a pipe bomb outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington on the night of January 5, 2021. Republican National Committee headquarters that same evening. The FBI said the devices were left on between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m.
FBI
The FBI also revealed Thursday that investigators estimate the suspect — who was caught on video wearing a facemask and a hooded sweatshirt — was 5 feet, 7 inches tall.
According to a report obtained by CBS News in March 2021, the bombs had only one way to detonate — a 60-minute kitchen timer. The devices did not go off, and it is not clear when or if they were going to detonate. But the FBI said their analysis concluded that pipe bombs were viable and posed a threat to the public.
FBI
They were eventually found outside the buildings around 1 a.m. on January 6, around the same time as rioters breached the nearby Capitol grounds. Law enforcement officials have said the discovery of the pipe bombs has diverted resources from a simultaneous crisis response at the Capitol.
David Sunberg, head of the FBI's Washington Field Office, told CBS News in an interview that the case “is still a high priority” and that the devices “could have killed someone,” noting that they were “left in a residential neighborhood ”
Sunberg and the FBI are urging members of the public Review newly released informationWhich includes an animated presentation of the Nike shoes worn by the suspect that day.
Sunberg said, “We have spent thousands of investigative hours, conducting interviews, looking at every piece of physical and digital evidence and following tips from the public. And those tips from the public have been helpful. They have helped move this investigation forward.” Has increased.” “They have allowed us to single people out sometimes. They have also given us some leads that we were able to follow for investigation purposes, but they have not yet allowed us to identify the person who Placed these two pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Convention headquarters almost four years ago.”
The FBI's failure to find a suspect has attracted criticism from lawmakers. A report Law enforcement's initial response to the bombs released Thursday and the FBI's subsequent investigation were criticized by Republican staffers on a pair of House subcommittees.
The report found that the FBI had identified “numerous persons of interest during the early weeks and months” of the investigation, and soon “collected more than 105,000,000 data points.” But no definite suspect could be identified.
According to congressional investigators, some potential targets included a person who searched for “pipe bomb DC” in the time between the bombs being placed and their discovery the next day. The FBI also turned their attention to a man who worked in the area and who had a pair of the suspect's sneakers.
“These devices harmed numerous lawmakers, staff, law enforcement, and residents,” the congressional report said. Yet, nearly four years after the incident, Americans have no details about who planted the bombs and why. “Apply.” “This lack of information hinders Congress's ability to enact legislation to improve the security of the Capitol complex and the conduct of federal law enforcement. The failure to identify, capture, and prosecute the attacker ultimately makes all Americans less safe. “
Contributed to this report.
