What Was Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Case — And Who Was Brian Cole Arrested In This Matter? All You Need To Know

The long-running investigation into the pipe bombs planted outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee offices on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the US Capitol saw a breakthrough on Dec. 6. The FBI arrested a Virginia man accused of planting the explosive devices. For nearly five years, the case had puzzled investigators and fuelled widespread conspiracy theories about the events leading up to Jan. 6, 2021.

Authorities named the suspect as Brian J. Cole Jr. He was taken into custody on explosives charges, though officials have yet to clarify a possible motive or explain whether the incident was linked in any way to the assault on the US Capitol the following day by supporters of Donald Trump.

According to NBC News, federal investigators said a person planted one pipe bomb outside the Democratic National Committee and another outside the Republican National Committee on Jan. 5, 2021, the night before the Capitol attack. The FBI has repeatedly appealed for public assistance, even releasing new footage earlier this year showing the person placing one of the devices.

The bureau described the suspect as around 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and wearing Nike Air Max Speed Turf trainers with a gold logo. The bombs were found about 15 hours after they were planted and were capable of causing serious injury or death, the FBI has said. Investigators have carried out more than 1,000 interviews and examined thousands of video files as part of the probe.

Brian Cole, 30, is from the suburban community of Woodbridge in Prince William County, about 32 kms south of Washington. According to an FBI affidavit, he lives with his mother and other relatives and is employed at a bail bondsman’s office in Northern Virginia.

Prince William County Public Schools Director of Communication Diana Gulotta told USA Today that Cole completed his schooling at Hylton High School in 2013. USA Today also reported that while he has no criminal record, public documents list several traffic violations, all recorded after the pipe bomb incident.

NBC News reported that investigators linked Cole to the case through purchases of items such as six galvanised pipes, black and galvanised endcaps, 9-volt batteries, Walmart kitchen timers and electrical wiring, all outlined in the charging documents.

According to the BBC, mobile phone data placed Cole near both bomb locations between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021. Licence plate-reader footage also captured his 2017 Nissan Sentra close to the area where the person believed to have planted the devices was first seen.