The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office (WFO) released a new video on Thursday, urging the public once again to provide tips to capture the notorious Washington, D.C. bomber who caused a stir four years ago.
On January 5, 2021, the day before the Capitol Hill riot incident, the bomber placed pipe bombs near the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in Washington.
Over the past four years, the FBI has evaluated over 600 leads, reviewed about 39,000 videos, and conducted over 1,000 interviews. However, the suspect remains at large, making the arrest of this bomber a top priority for the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and various police departments in Washington, D.C.
The FBI hopes the public will provide fresh leads by disclosing more details about the case. Anyone who aids in the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator could receive a reward of up to $500,000.
The unidentified suspect is approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, and investigators have yet to confirm the gender. It is also unclear whether the bombing case is related to the Capitol Hill riot.
The FBI also released footage of the suspect planting one of the bombs, which had not been disclosed to the public before. The images show the suspect wearing a grey hoodie, a mask, black gloves, and a pair of black and grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with yellow accents.
According to the FBI, fewer than 25,000 pairs of the same shoes were sold between August 2018 and January 2021.
Surveillance cameras captured the suspect planting the bombs outside the RNC (located at 310 First St. SE) and DNC (located at 430 South Capitol St. SE) between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on January 5, 2021.
Although the bombs were ultimately non-explosive, the FBI stated that both devices could have been lethal.
The suspect first appeared on surveillance video at around 7:34 p.m. at the intersection of First Street and North Carolina Avenue. The last sighting was around 8:18 p.m. as the suspect walked east on Rumsey Court.
“Based on the attire, these could be the most distinct or unique features of the suspect’s clothing,” said David Sundberg, Assistant Director of the FBI Washington Office. “We hope that someone will recognize this.”
Sundberg noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people were wearing masks, and even though the suspect concealed his features, it did not attract any attention.
President Trump is set to return to the White House on January 20. Sundberg stated that he expects the change in administration will not alter the FBI’s investigation into the bombing case.
“We still don’t know who the suspect is,” he added. “I hope we will continue investigating this case until we reach a reasonable conclusion and identify the suspect.”