Federal authorities are now offering a reward of up to $75,000 for information that leads investigators to the person they believe placed suspected pipe bombs at the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees in Washington, D.C., the office announced Thursday.
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced the reward for information that leads them to “the location, arrest, and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for placing suspected pipe bombs” on Jan. 6.
On Tuesday, a law enforcement official familiar with Inauguration security concerns told Fox News that finding the person who planted the pipe bombs was a “top priority” in the lead-up to Wednesday’s ceremony.
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It was around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday when U.S. Capitol Police and agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called to the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) office after a pipe bomb was found outside. About 30 minutes later, as the agents and bomb technicians were still investigating at the RNC, another call came in for a second, similar explosive device found at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters nearby.
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The two explosive devices were very similar, and both were about a foot long with end caps and wiring that appeared to be attached to a timer, two different law enforcement officials familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
An explosive device is shown outside of the Republican National Committee office, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington. (AP Photo)
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The images of the suspect released so far show the person wearing a grey-colored hooded sweatshirt covering their head, and dark-colored pants. The suspect is wearing white and dark-colored shoes with an intricate design, and appears to be holding a knapsack.
The FBI asks that anyone with information call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5342), or submit tips online at fbi.gov/USCapitol.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.