FBI releases new video of person planting bombs before Capitol riot
The FBI released new videos Tuesday that investigators said show the person suspected of planting two pipe bombs the night before the January riot at the Capitol.
"These pipe bombs were viable devices that could have been detonated, resulting in injury or death. We need the public's help to identify the individual responsible for placing these pipe bombs, to ensure they will not harm themselves or anyone else," said Steven D'Antuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington field office.
The FBI said the bombs were planted between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET Jan. 5 outside the national offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees. Both are a few blocks from the Capitol.
Videos made public last month showed the person believed to be the suspect walking through the neighborhood, wearing a gray hoodie and a mask and carrying a backpack. The FBI said the person also wore distinctive footwear — Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with black, gray and yellow details.
The newly released videos show the person walking on the sidewalk a few blocks from the Capitol and then stopping to put down the backpack before beginning to walk again. Other scenes show the person sitting down on a park bench and walking down an alley.
Investigators said both devices appeared to be fully functional, made out of metal pipe an inch in diameter, containing homemade black powder, with a common windup timer attached. They did not go off.
The devices' discovery pulled dozens of police away from their usual posts about 90 minutes before rioters stormed the Capitol. Steven Sund, the former chief of the Capitol Police, has said he believes the bombs were planted as a diversion.
In releasing the video, the FBI said agents hope someone may recognize the person's gait, body language or other mannerisms. Agents said the person might also have taken something from a vehicle parked a few blocks from the Capitol between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 5.
The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the person's identification.
