The FBI released video footage Thursday showing the suspect in a still-unsolved Washington, D.C., pipe bomb case from four years ago.
The release of the footage is part of the FBI’s renewed efforts to identify the person who allegedly planted bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on Jan. 5, 2021, the night before supporters of then-President Donald Trump assaulted the U.S. Capitol. Though more than 1,500 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot, whoever planted the bombs remains at large.
“The tips the FBI has received so far have helped us advance the investigation, but they have not led us to identify the suspect,” David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, said in a statement.
The newly released footage shows the suspect in a light-colored hooded sweatshirt sitting on a park bench near the DNC headquarters. The person can be seen retrieving a pipe bomb from their backpack and placing it near the building. According to Sundberg, the suspect is 5 feet, 7 inches tall.
The FBI restated Thursday that it’s offering a reward of up to $500,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of someone responsible for the attempted attack.
Bomb technicians disabled both devices by blasting them with water cannons around the same time as a violent mob of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol. Though a motive remains unclear, the bombs diverted law enforcement resources away the riot on Jan. 6 four years ago.
Thursday’s release comes the same day Republicans on two House committees released a report criticizing the FBI’s unsuccessful efforts to identify the pipe bomb suspect.
“The devices placed many lawmakers, staff, law enforcement, and residents in harm’s way. Yet, almost four years after the incident, Americans scarcely have any detail about who planted the bombs or why,” the report states. “This lack of information hampers Congress’s ability to legislate improvements to the security of the Capitol Complex and the operations of federal law enforcement. The failure to identify, apprehend, and prosecute the bomber ultimately makes all Americans less secure.”
The report points out that the FBI has so far failed to name a suspect, despite identifying multiple persons of interest in the first months of the investigation.