1 of 3 | An unidentified suspect carries a backpack containing at least two pipe bombs that were deployed but did not detonate on the evening of Jan. 5, 2021, the FBI says. Photo Courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Jan. 2 (UPI) — The FBI Washington D.C. Field Office released additional information in its four-year investigation into a suspect who placed pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic Party national headquarters.
The FBI has created a Seeking Information webpage containing photographs of the suspect, pipe bombs and shoes and has offered a reward of up to $500,000 leading to the suspect’s location, arrest and conviction.
“We have spent thousands of investigative hours, conducting interviews, looking at every piece of physical and digital evidence and following tips from the public,” FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director David Sundberg told CBS News.
“Those tips from the public have been helpful,” Sundberg said. “They have furthered this investigation.”
Federal investigators have visited more than 1,200 locations and interviewed more than 1,000 people but still have not identified a suspect, NBC News reported.
The suspect placed pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021 – one day ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that landed 1,500 participants in prison.
The FBI said the suspect at about 7:30 p.m. EST placed one pipe bomb outside the RNC headquarters at 310 First St. SE and about an hour later placed another pipe bomb outside the DNC headquarters at 430 S. Capitol St. SE #3 on Jan. 5, 2021.
Each pipe bomb had a commonly used 60-minute kitchen timer attached, but neither pipe bomb detonated, although the FBI said they were viable bombs placed in residential areas and posed a threat to the general public.
The FBI describes the suspect as an unknown individual standing about 5 feet, 7 inches in height and wearing a face mask, glasses, gloves, a gray hooded sweatshirt and black and light-gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a yellow logo. The suspect also carried a backpack.
The pipe bombs are described as 1-inch galvanized pipes measuring 8 inches in length with end caps, homemade black powder, wires, metal clips and a kitchen timer on each.
The pipe bombs were discovered about 15 hours after the suspect deployed them and could have seriously injured or killed people if either had detonated, the FBI said.