The FBI released new footage on Thursday showing a suspect planting a pipe bomb near the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 2021. Nearly four years after the alarming event, investigators are still working to identify the person responsible. The video is now being reinvestigated following the New Orleans terror attack that killed 15 people.
In an effort to renew public attention to the case, the bureau shared fresh information about the masked and hooded suspect, estimating the person's height at 5 feet 7 inches. The footage dates back to January 5, 2021, capturing one of the two explosive devices the suspect had placed. However, even the suspect's gender remains unknown.
Fresh Video Reveals Chilling Details
"Without being able to confirm the suspect's identity, it is very hard to definitively establish motive," said assistant director in charge of the bureau's Washington field office David Sundberg.
"Therefore, it would be difficult for us to state that there is a link, although we can't state there is not one," he told the AP.
The renewed effort to identify the pipe bomb suspect coincides with revelations from Capitol Hill investigators about major security lapses by federal agents. These included poorly conducted security sweeps and the absence of an adequate safety perimeter after two pipe bombs were found on January 6.
The shortcomings are detailed in a scathing new report by the House Administration Committee. The 80-page report highlights the "serious, and largely overlooked, security failure on January 6" such as the delayed detection of the bombs near the headquarters of both major political parties and the "chaotic response" once the explosives were found.
The first bomb was found by a Good Samaritan near the Republican Party's Capitol Hill Club. She stumbled upon it while heading out to do laundry on January 6—a day of heightened security due to the congressional certification of electoral votes, which was later disrupted by a mob of Donald Trump supporters storming the Capitol.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the pipe bomb had been placed on January 5 but remained unnoticed until the following day. Four years on, the suspect remains unidentified and at large.
A Long List of Shortcomings
Some of the identified shortcomings include: - Agents failed to identify the bomb near the DNC during security sweeps;
- Agents allowed traffic and pedestrians to cross 'within feet' of the explosive devices;
- They allowed the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's motorcade 'to drive through an acting bomb scene, risking the safety of the Speaker;'
- And they allowed commuter trains to pass by the DNC bomb, "placing civilians within close proximity to one of the viable devices."
The shocking revelations emerge just days after the FBI announced the uncovering of the largest cache of explosives in its history, including pipe bombs, during a search of a farm near Norfolk, Virginia. Authorities have clarified that there is no indication linking the two cases.
The report features numerous images from security footage, showing moments when unsuspecting pedestrians walked within mere feet of a device that officials warned could have caused severe injuries or fatalities.
The information was presented in an interim staff report for the House Administration Committee, led by Georgia Representative Barry Loudermilk, and discussed during a Judiciary subcommittee hearing chaired by Representative Thomas Massey (R-Ky.).
The report details threats faced by both Republicans and Democrats on a day critical to the peaceful transfer of power. However, Loudermilk took the opportunity to slam the former House January 6 Committee, which investigated the events of that day under Democratic leadership.
"The FBI has no suspects on the J6 RNC/DNC pipe bombs, and Pelosi/Cheney's former J6 Select Committee failed to report on the many security failures surrounding the event during their 'investigation,'" he wrote on X. "Today's report highlights why the American people still deserve the full truth."
This came on a day when President Joe Biden planned to award former Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) the Presidential Citizens Medal.
The report also highlights several investigative leads, including a "person of interest" who searched for information about pipe bombs online before their discovery, an individual who took photos behind the RNC building, and someone who owned a pair of Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers.
However, it also notes that the FBI has declined to share further details regarding these leads.
