FBI still hunting hundreds of US Capitol riot suspects, pipe bomber year later
- More than 700 people have been arrested for the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol
- Federal investigators analyse surveillance video as citizen sleuths join hunt online for suspects
The suspect was covered from head to toe, skulking through the dark streets of the US capital before methodically placing two explosives outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees.
Only 17 hours later – and just before the US Capitol was stormed by a sea of pro-Trump rioters – were the pipe bombs discovered. It quickly became one of the highest-priority investigations for the FBI and the Justice Department.
But the trail grew cold almost immediately. A year later, federal investigators are no closer to learning the person’s identity. And a key question remains: was there a connection between the pipe bombs and the riot at the Capitol?
The suspect is among hundreds of people still being sought by the FBI following last January’s deadly insurrection. So far, 250 people seen on video assaulting police at the Capitol still haven’t been fully identified and apprehended by the FBI, and another 100 are being sought for other crimes tied to the riot.
The investigation has been a massive undertaking for federal law enforcement officials. More than 700 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the January 6 attack, and arrests are still being made regularly.