In a significant development in a long-standing investigation, law enforcement officials confirmed that a suspect was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly planting pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) on January 5, 2021. This information was provided to the Associated Press by law enforcement officials who have yet to disclose the formal charges to the public.
The arrest marks a pivotal moment for the FBI, which has faced intense scrutiny and criticism over the unsolved case from a range of lawmakers. The breakthrough in the case occurred just weeks before the fifth anniversary of the Capitol riot, an event that has been etched into the nation’s collective memory.
The case stems back to the evening of January 5, 2021, when surveillance footage captured an individual wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, mask, gloves, glasses, and distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers. The person, who was carrying a backpack, was recorded placing the devices at both major political party headquarters. These bombs, which investigators later confirmed were viable explosive devices, went undetected for approximately 17 hours.
On January 6, 2021, as Congress convened to count the electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election, the bombs were discovered. The timing was concurrent with the moment when supporters of President Trump entered the Capitol building, leading to the suspension of the congressional session.
The discovery of the bombs was dangerously close to impacting key political figures. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi both had near encounters with the explosives. Pelosi’s motorcade drove past one of the bombs at the DNC headquarters after it had been found by law enforcement.
The arrest follows a January 2024 congressional report by Reps. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), which criticized the progress of the investigation and the FBI's communication with Congress. Despite having considerable data and several persons of interest, the report indicated that the FBI began reprioritizing resources away from the pipe bomb case by the end of February 2021, leading to concerns about the bureau's commitment to resolving the situation.
In response to the congressional report and its recommendations, the FBI released new information to the public, including additional video footage and a height estimate for the suspect. The recent arrest of the Virginia man, as announced on social media, represents a significant leap forward in addressing one of the most perplexing unsolved cases related to the January 6 timeframe.
