The FBI disclosed Friday that investigators believe two pipe bombs discovered near the U.S. Capitol were planted the night before the Jan. 6 siege.
Based on analysis of videos recorded by surveillance cameras in the area, investigators said whoever planted the bombs did so between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 5. The bombs were discovered the next day, as Congress was preparing to certify the Electoral College votes for president.
Videos obtained by the FBI and independently by The Washington Post, which posted them on its website, show a person believed to be the suspect walking through the neighborhood, wearing a gray hoodie, a mask and carrying a backpack.
The FBI said the suspect also had distinctive footwear — black, gray and yellow Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes.
The bombs were placed outside the headquarters of both the Republican and the Democratic parties a few blocks apart on Capitol Hill. Investigators said both devices appeared to be fully functional, made out of metal pipe with a common windup timer. They were rendered harmless and sent to the FBI crime lab for analysis.
Although they did not go off, their discovery 90 minutes before rioters stormed the Capitol pulled dozens of police away from their normal posts.
Hoping to enlist more public help in identifying the suspect, the FBI raised the reward Friday for helping crack the case to $100,000.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
