Brian Cole Jr. identified by federal authorities as DC pipe bomb suspect
Attorney General Pam Bondi identified the D.C. pipe bomb suspect as 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr.
The man suspected of setting off pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., in 2021 said after his arrest that “something went off” and wanted to target Democrats and Republicans because “they were responsible,” federal prosecutors said in court documents released Wednesday.
Brian Cole Jr., 30, was arrested earlier this month and charged with transporting and planting two pipe bombs. Prosecutors accused Cole of planting two pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican National Committee offices the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Federal authorities previously said the device discovered on the day of the attack did not explode and no one was injured. After nearly five years of investigation, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on December 4 that Cole was taken into custody.
He made his first appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on December 5 and was sentenced to prison without bail. In a memo filed Dec. 28, the Justice Department asked that Cole remain in prison while awaiting trial. A detention hearing is scheduled for Dec. 30.
The memo also contained a detailed account of statements made by Mr. Cole after his arrest, including confessions. Prosecutors argued that Cole posed an “intolerable danger” to the community and should remain in custody pending trial.
“Defendants’ choice of targets endangered the lives not only of innocent pedestrians and business workers, but also of law enforcement, first responders, and national political leaders, including the Vice President-elect and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who were inside their respective party headquarters or passing by in their vehicles on January 6, 2021,” prosecutors wrote.
“I don’t like either political party at this point.”
Cole was arrested on the morning of Dec. 4 at his home in Woodbridge, Virginia, about 40 miles from Washington, D.C., authorities said. After his arrest, Cole was questioned by investigators for several hours and initially denied making, transporting or setting pipe bombs, according to the memo.
When investigators asked him about his whereabouts on January 5, 2021, Cole said he drove alone to Washington, D.C., to participate in protests related to the 2020 election, the memo added.
“I didn’t agree with the actions of the people. They’re like telling half the country they should just ignore it. I didn’t think that was a good idea, so I went to the protest,” the memo said, quoting Cole.
But as the investigation continued, prosecutors claimed Cole confessed to traveling to Washington, D.C., to plant two pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC. He also allegedly told investigators, “If people feel that something as important as voting in a federal election is being tampered with, someone needs to speak up, right? Someone at the top,” according to the memo.
“Defendant felt that ‘those above,’ including ‘people and public figures on both sides,’ should not ‘ignore people’s grievances’ or call them ‘conspiracy theorists,’ ‘evil people,’ ‘Nazis,’ ‘fascists,’ etc.,” the memo continued.
When investigators questioned Cole about his motives, Cole said he “saw everything go bad and something snapped,” and that he wanted to do something “for the parties” because “they are in charge,” according to the memo.
Prosecutors added that when Cole was asked why he installed devices at the RNC and DNC, he replied, “I really don’t like either political party at this point.”
The suspect told investigators he was “pretty relieved” the bomb didn’t go off.
During interrogation, Cole also detailed to investigators the manufacture, transportation and installation of pipe bombs, according to the memo. The suspect told investigators that he made black powder using charcoal, sulfur powder, and potassium nitrate that he purchased from Lowe’s Home Center.
Cole said he learned how to make black powder by playing video games and watching science-related videos on YouTube, according to the memo. Prosecutors said he then assembled the pipe bomb in “a few hours” before driving to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021.
“The defendant placed one of the devices in his backpack, got out of his car, and walked towards the DNC. He set the timer on the first device to the maximum time (60 minutes) and placed the device near the DNC,” the memo said. “The defendant then returned to his vehicle, removed the second device, placed it in his backpack, and walked to the RNC, where he set the timer for 60 minutes and installed the device.”
Later in the interview, the notes state that Cole said he had not tested the pipe bombs before placing them. The memo added that when Cole learned the pipe bomb had not exploded, “he was ‘quite relieved’ and claimed he had placed the device at night because he did not want to kill anyone.”
Contributors: Natalie Neysa Alund and Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY
