What was the Jan 6 pipe bomb case and who is Brian Cole? — All you need to know

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday arrested suspect Brian Cole after a nearly five-year-long investigation into the pipe bombs that were discovered outside the Republican and Democrat headquarters in Washington DC on the day of the 6 January 2021 riots at the US Capitol.

Cole is the first definitive suspect in the case, which had long perplexed law enforcement authorities.

The arrest was announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, with the latter saying in a press conference, “I'm proud to stand here before you and say we solved it. He will have his day in court. The American public and the world will learn even more information through the legal process.”

Who is Brian Cole?

Cole, 30, lives in Woodbridge, Virginia, a Washington suburb, reported AP.

He was arrested on Thursday morning local time and is scheduled to be arraigned in a federal court in Washington, DC, at 1 pm.

Cole graduated from Hylton High School in 2013, NBC News reported citing a spokesperson for Prince William County Public Schools.

AP reported that hours after Cole's arrest, law enforcement vehicles arrived in numbers in the area where his home is, and agents from the FBI helped shoo away onlookers.

Presently, it is unclear what Cole will be charged with.

Authorities say Cole could have ties to “anarchist” ideology, reported Right Angle News Network.

The 6 Jan 2021 pipe bomb case

The case pertains to the placing of two fully functional, potentially lethal pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters between approximately 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm on the evening of 5 January 2021.

The bombs were discovered the following day, 15 to 17 hours later, around the time the US Capitol was overrun by rioters.

Despite an extensive investigation over the years, including a $500,000 reward, investigators found it difficult to pinpoint a suspect, as per AP.

CCTV footage

Surveillance footage from the time the bombs were placed showed a hooded figure behind it all.

At 7:40 pm on 5 Jan, the suspected bomber was seen standing in a residential neighborhood on South Capitol Street with a bag.

Two minutes later., the suspect was seen seated on a bench in front of the DNC, where the first pipe bomb was reportedly placed under a bush.

Subsequently, at 8:14 pm, the suspect was seen in an alleyway near the RNC, from where the second pipe bomb was found, as per ABC.

Moments later, a security camera captured the suspect walking by the front of the Capitol Hill Club, adjacent to the RNC.

Was anyone at the White House affected by the pipe bomb?

Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi both came “within feet” of the two potentially lethal devices as they traveled to and from the DNC headquarters on South Capitol Street on 6 January, reported NY Post.