Photo: FBI

Federal authorities have reportedly arrested a suspect in connection with the placement of pipe bombs at Democratic and Republican Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., the night before the riot in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, a long-awaited sign of progress in solving a mystery that for five years had baffled law enforcement. Here’s what we know so far.

What happened on January 5, 2021?

Surveillance footage showed an unidentified suspect appearing to place pipe bombs near the headquarters of both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on the evening of January 5, 2021, just blocks away from the U.S. Capitol. Authorities described the suspect as being approximately five feet seven inches tall, wearing a face mask, a gray sweatshirt, and dark pants as well as black-and-light-gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers.

The bombs were discovered the following day and ultimately did not detonate but were considered viable and capable of doing significant damage. Subsequent reports would reveal that then-Vice President Kamala Harris was in the DNC offices when the bomb was discovered and had to be evacuated from the scene by her Secret Service detail.

What do we know about the suspect?

NBC News and CNN report that the suspect is Brian Cole, a Virginia man, who was arrested Thursday morning though other outlets haven’t confirmed his identity. A press conference is expected later Thursday.

News footage shows FBI agents conducting a search on a home associated with the suspect in Woodbridge, VA.

What prompted the suspect’s arrest?

It’s not yet known how the authorities became aware of the suspect. The FBI had been still seeking the public’s help with the case, publishing additional information including a longer video of the suspect in January.

“Over the past four years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, data scientists, and law enforcement partners has visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, conducted more than 1,000 interviews, reviewed approximately 39,000 video files, and assessed more than 600 tips about who may have placed pipe bombs on Capitol Hill in January 2021,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office in a statement.

Wasn’t there a recent false claim about the bomber’s identity?

Yes. The right-wing news site The Blaze recently alleged that a former U.S. Capitol Police officer was the attempted bomber, claiming that her “gait” matched that of the suspect seen in surveillance footage. The story quickly caught fire on social media and was bolstered by prominent figures like Republican Representatives Thomas Massie and Barry Loudermilk. But federal officials soon shut down the speculation. In a lengthy tweet, deputy FBI director Dan Bongino wrote that “some of the media reporting regarding prior persons of interest is grossly inaccurate and serves only to mislead the public.”

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