Reward for Info on Capitol Hill Pipe Bomber Raised to $500,000

WASHINGTON — The reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in connection with the planting of two pipe bombs on Capitol Hill in January 2021 has been raised to $500,000.

The bombs were placed near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees in Washington the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol by insurrectionists loyal to then-President Donald Trump.

Two years into the investigation, identifying the perpetrator of this attempted attack remains a priority for the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

Grainy photographs and video of the suspect, who wore dark pants, a white or gray hoodie and a face mask while placing the pipe bombs, have haunted residents of the neighborhood surrounding First Street and South Capitol Street SE ever since the night of the incident.

Though these bombs did not detonate, the suspect walked through residential and commercial areas of Capitol Hill armed with viable pipe bombs between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at night on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.

Had they gone off at that time, they could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders. 

And law enforcement personnel say the suspect may still pose a danger to the public or themselves.  

“For two years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, and law enforcement partners have been tirelessly reviewing evidence and digital media related to this case,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, in a written statement. 

“To date, the FBI and our partners have conducted approximately 1,000 interviews, visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, collected more than 39,000 video files, and assessed nearly 500 tips. 

“We remain grateful to the American people, who have provided invaluable tips that have helped us advance the investigation,” Sundberg said. “With the significantly increased reward, we urge those who may have previously hesitated to contact us — or who may not have realized they had important information — to review the information on our website and come forward with anything relevant.” 

In raising the reward for information about the pipe bomb suspect from $100,000 to as much as $500,000, the FBI and its partners hope to encourage the public to take a fresh look at its Seeking Information website, which includes images and video of the suspect, the suspect’s backpack, the suspect’s shoes, the explosive devices and a map of the route the suspect walked the night the pipe bombs were placed. 

“We note that many of the components used to build the pipe bombs were widely available for purchase in-store and online. Some of the components used to construct these devices include 1×8-inch threaded galvanized pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, wires, metal clips, and homemade black powder,” a joint press release from the law enforcement agencies says.

Individuals who may have information about the bomber are urged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous.

Dan can be reached at dan@thewellnews.com and @DanMcCue