Jan. 6 pipe bombs: What we know about one of the day’s biggest mysteries

Saturday marks the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capitol in 2021, and at least one large mystery remains unsolved.

On Jan. 5, 2021, an unknown person placed two pipe bombs outside of the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees. The bombs did not detonate. The FBI has offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to the individual’s arrest and conviction.

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Here is what we do know about the mysterious incident:

Video footage illustrates a timeline

Video surveillance showed an unknown person appearing to place one of the explosives under a bench outside the DNC. It also shows the suspect walking in an alley near the RNC, where the second bomb was placed.

The bombs were placed at their respective locations on Tuesday, January 5, between approximately 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. — the night before the riot. It is not clear whether the bombs were connected to the riots.

Authorities were called to the Republican National Committee’s office at around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Another call came in for a similar explosive device found at the Democratic headquarters shortly after, but the bombs were rendered safe.

Suspect description

Although the identity and specific details about the suspect are not known, the FBI said surveillance footage of the two headquarters showed a figure wearing a face mask, glasses, gloves, a grey hooded sweatshirt, and black and light grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a yellow logo. The person also carried a backpack.

“Some of the components of the devices include: 1×8-inch threaded galvanized pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, wires, metal clips and homemade black powder,” the FBI said.

The FBI said it has spent thousands of hours conducting interviews, following tips people have reported from the field, and reviewing physical and digital evidence in order to track down the individual(s) responsible.

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“The tips we have received so far from the American people have helped us advance the investigation,” David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, said in a statement. “We ask the public to continue to assist us by taking a fresh look at our Seeking Information webpage … We urge anyone who may have previously hesitated to come forward or who may not have realized they had important information to contact us and share anything relevant.”

Tips can be sent and submitted online at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). Tips can be anonymous.