Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Driven by Election Conspiracy Theories, DOJ Alleges

Justice Department Links Pipe Bombs to Election Lies

Washington, D.C. — The still-unidentified figure who planted two live pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican national headquarters on the eve of the January 6 insurrection was motivated by a deep belief that the 2020 election was stolen, federal prosecutors revealed in a court filing late Tuesday.

The disclosure, buried in a routine status report, marks the first time the government has publicly offered a motive for the most chilling unsolved crime tied to the Capitol attack.

‘The Election Was Rigged’

According to the DOJ, location data and encrypted chats show the suspect repeatedly searched for terms such as “stop the steal,” “Pence traitor,” and “how to build a bomb” in the weeks before January 6. Investigators also recovered a deleted video in which a hooded figure—wearing the same Nike sneakers visible in surveillance footage—declares, “If Congress won’t listen, we’ll make them feel it.”

“This individual didn’t just want to scare people. They wanted to send a message that the transfer of power could be stopped with violence,” a senior FBI counter-terrorism official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The Night Before the Siege

The bombs were placed between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on January 5, 2021, while Capitol Hill was quiet except for a handful of staffers working late. Each device—constructed from galvanized steel pipe, homemade black powder, and a kitchen timer—was powerful enough to shred a sedan, officials said. A passer-by spotted one of them the next morning; the other was found after a sweeping search that locked down multiple Senate office buildings.

Had either detonated, investigators believe the resulting chaos would have diverted emergency resources at the precise moment rioters breached the Capitol.

Digital Breadcrumbs

Agents matched the suspect’s gait to a 2017 YouTube video shot at a “Stop the Steal” rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Facial-recognition software returned a 92% match to a 38-year-old former Air Force mechanic living in Virginia, though no arrest has been made. The individual’s name has not been released; the investigation remains active.

• Encrypted messaging app Signal shows the suspect joined a private channel titled “Patriots 1776” on December 19, 2020.
• A search of the suspect’s browser history revealed 43 visits to a QAnon forum in the 48 hours before the bombs were planted.
• Bank records indicate a $78 cash purchase at a Northern Virginia hardware store for end caps consistent with the bomb design.

A City on Edge Again

Capitol Police have quietly doubled patrols around party headquarters this week, fearing copy-cat attacks as the 2024 election season intensifies. Officers now carry radiation detectors and portable X-ray kits originally deployed in Iraq.

“We can’t afford to treat January 6 as history,” said Chief J. Thomas Manger. “For some people, it’s a blueprint.”

What Happens Next

FBI officials say they are one tip away from an arrest. A $500,000 reward remains on offer, and digital billboards along I-95 flash the suspect’s silhouette every 15 minutes. Investigators have asked the public to focus on the distinctive white-gray sneakers and the way the suspect favors their left foot when walking.

Until the cuffs click shut, the story that began with election lies—and nearly ended with a pair of explosions—will keep its grip on a divided nation.