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FBI releases new footage of possible Jan. 5 pipe-bomb suspect

WASHINGTON — The FBI on Wednesday released new video of a person suspected of placing pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee the night before a crowd stormed the U.S. Capitol.

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Investigators believe the suspect is not from the Washington area, and the FBI made another call to the public in helping the agency solve the case, The Washington Post reported.

“Identifying the perpetrator of this attempted attack remains a priority for the FBI’s Washington Field Office and our partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Capitol Police; and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department,” the FBI said in a news release.

Steven M. D’Antuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, appealed to people who might be close to the suspect to come forward with information, the Post reported.

“We know it is hard to report information about a friend or family member, but these pipe bombs were viable devices that could have detonated, causing innocent bystanders to be seriously injured or killed,” D’Antuono said in a statement. “Your tip could be the one that prevents this person from harming themselves or anyone else.”

The appeal comes as law enforcement officials, concerned about possible violence during a scheduled rally at the Capitol on Sept. 18 in Washington, are planning to reinstall protective fences that surrounded the Capitol after the Jan. 6 incident, The Associated Press reported.

On Jan. 5, one pipe bomb was placed in an alley behind the RNC headquarters and a second device was placed next to a park bench near the DNC headquarters, WJLA reported. The FBI said the pipe bombs were placed in the Capitol Hill neighborhood between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. EDT on Jan. 5, the television station reported.

The pipe bombs were not discovered until Jan. 6, when a crowd stormed the Capitol and interrupted Congress’ formal ratification of the Electoral College results that confirmed Joe Biden’s election as president in November 2020.

The video footage released shows the suspect sitting on the bench near the DNC, CNN reported.

“Reviews of the suspect’s behavior in video footage and interviews with residents in the Capitol Hill neighborhood have led the FBI to believe the suspect is not from the area,” according to a news release from the FBI Washington Field Office.