Man admits planting pipe bombs near party headquarters before 2021 US Capitol riot

ANKARA

A Virginia man accused of placing pipe bombs outside the national headquarters of both the Democratic and Republican parties on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot admitted he targeted both parties out of frustration with the 2020 US presidential election, the Department of Justice said on Sunday.

Brian Cole Jr., who was arrested on Dec. 4, said he "did not like either party" and wanted to damage them, but also expressed relief that the bombs did not explode, according to the document published by the department.

Cole Jr. initially denied involvement, claiming he only attended protest demonstrations on Jan. 5.

He also insisted he had no connection to Congress or the events of Jan. 6.

However, he later admitted he made and planted the pipe bombs near the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters on the evening of Jan. 5, 2021.

Cole Jr. said he was "disappointed" by the election results and had hoped “senior officials would speak out” after hearing statements about election irregularities.

He emphasized he "did not want to kill anyone" and felt "relieved the bombs didn’t explode."

Following his arrest, investigators found materials used for bomb-making in Cole Jr.’s home and vehicle.

On the night before the Capitol attack, the FBI discovered and neutralized two pipe bombs placed outside the DNC and RNC offices near the US Capitol.

Despite five years of investigations, which included reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing around 1,000 people, authorities had not been able to identify the suspect until recently.

The FBI had previously released footage of a masked suspect and offered a $490,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.