FBI Says DC Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Kept Buying Bomb Parts After January 6

Federal authorities have finally cracked the case of a suspect who planted pipe bombs near the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021. The individual, identified as Brian J. Cole Jr., a 30-year-old resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested in December and charged with multiple federal crimes.

Cole's arrest is a major development in an investigation that had stalled for nearly five years, sparking intense scrutiny and criticism from some quarters. Senior Trump administration officials have quickly seized on the breakthrough, casting it as a vindication of their own leadership and a testament to their determination to tackle the case.

According to an FBI affidavit, Cole was linked to the pipe bombs through a combination of surveillance footage, historical cell-site data, and purchase records showing he bought components used in bomb-making at multiple hardware stores in northern Virginia between 2019 and 2020. The investigation found that Cole continued to buy components after his bombs were discovered, including a white kitchen timer and two nine-volt batteries from Walmart.

Cole's arrest is seen as a significant blow to far-right conspiracy theories that had circulated online since the initial investigation stalled. Some figures on the right had claimed that the FBI was failing to pursue leads effectively, while others had speculated that Cole might be an "antifa" member or someone who had been unfairly identified as the perpetrator.

The FBI has consistently maintained that the devices built from threaded metal pipe, a kitchen timer, and homemade black powder were "viable" and could have been lethal. However, it remains unclear whether they would have detonated absent intervention. The agency's deputy assistant director for the criminal investigative division, Darren Cox, said that investigators continued to work on the case despite some critics suggesting that it had gone cold.

The arrest of Cole is seen as a major victory for the FBI and its leadership under Director Christopher Wray, who has taken steps to rebuild trust with the public after some high-profile setbacks. The agency's deputy director, Dan Bongino, dismissed criticisms of his own performance on the case earlier this year, saying that they were "grossly inaccurate."

just read that Brian J Cole Jr was arrested and it's like 5 years into the investigation lol what even is a 30-yr-old dude doing planting pipe bombs near the Capitol his whole history of buying bomb-making components at hardware stores since 2019 is wild average price for those components? $23 the FBI's saying these devices were "viable" and could've been lethal, but like was it a 100% certainty they'd've gone off without intervention?

According to the FBI, Cole's arrest has crushed far-right conspiracy theories that claimed they were onto something with Cole being an "antifa" member let me just throw some stats out there the number of pipe bomb attacks in the US since 2017? 34 ️ 2021 was a record year for such incidents

I'm glad the authorities finally caught up with Cole, but all this hype around it being a 'vindication' of Trump's leadership is getting out of hand . It's like we're forgetting why we wanted justice in the first place - to prevent people from getting hurt . The fact that some conspiracy theories were floating around online was disturbing enough, but now it feels like everyone's just trying to score points instead of actually giving a care about public safety . I mean, yeah Cole bought bomb-making components at Walmart... who hasn't done that at some point? Let's not get carried away here .

omg you guys I'm telling u this is not a coincidence @all the fake news outlets are hailing this as some kinda major win for the FBI but have u considered the fact that Brian Cole Jr was identified thru surveillance footage & cell-site data ?? what about all the other ppl who were in the area on Jan 6th who got left out of the investigation?? it's like they're trying to create a narrative here that Cole is some kinda lone wolf with no connection to any larger plot

Imagine a timeline , 2019-2020: Brian Cole Jr. buys bomb-making components at hardware stores in northern Virginia. Fast forward to January 6, 2021... pipe bombs near the US Capitol building! The FBI has been working on this case for nearly FIVE YEARS

Think of a flowchart : surveillance footage, cell-site data, and purchase records all point to Cole as the suspect. The investigation didn't go cold; it just needed more time and resources . Now that Cole's been arrested, some conspiracy theories have been debunked .

But what about the pipe bombs? Were they viable ? Would they've detonated without intervention ? These questions still linger. The FBI has done a great job rebuilding trust with the public, and this arrest is a major win for Director Wray and his team!

OMG what a huge relief now that Cole is finally caught I'm so glad he's off the streets and the FBI can move forward with the investigation. It's crazy to think it took 5 whole years for them to crack this case But honestly, it's about time. The far-right theories circulating online were getting really out of hand . At least now we know that Cole was the one behind the pipe bombs and not some other innocent person The fact that he kept buying components after they were discovered is just wild

I feel bad for Director Wray and his team who took a hit from critics earlier this year But it's clear that they didn't give up on the case, and now we're seeing the fruits of their labor . The FBI has done an amazing job keeping us safe, and I'm so grateful for their hard work

omg u guys this is crazy like i was wondering how they were gonna catch this dude and it turns out its been years in the making . gotta give props to the FBI tho, they didn't give up on the case even when ppl thought it was a lost cause . now that cole's out, it's gonna be interesting to see what other charges are brought against him . can't help but think about all the conspiracy theories that circulated online while this guy was still at large . anyway, this is def a major win for law enforcement and proof that they're on top of things .

finally! 5 years in the making and someone's finally held accountable for those pipe bombs . I'm all about fairness and accountability, but this one feels like a major win for law enforcement . The fact that Cole was able to buy parts after his bombs were discovered is wild . It's crazy how some people thought they could just keep buying bomb-making supplies without getting caught . I'm glad the FBI stuck with it and didn't give up on this case . Kudos to them for keeping us safe!

omg like I'm so relieved that Brian Cole was finally caught !!! i mean it's crazy to think he was able to get away with trying to harm all those people for so long. senior trump officials should be super happy about this one they're basically saying "told you we were onto something" lololol. but seriously though, it's awesome that the FBI worked so hard to crack this case and bring Cole in . i'm glad they were able to shut down those conspiracy theories that said the fbi was being super lazy on this one . anyway, can't wait to see what happens next with Cole's trial

Man... thinkin' about Cole's arrest and it's like, you got this guy who's been around for years, just chillin', buying bomb parts online . And people are like, 'FBI is slow', 'Trump is right'. But what's really going on here? Is it just about the bombs or is it about the narrative we're tryin' to sell ourselves? I mean, Cole buys more parts after his stuff gets found... you could say he was just trying to prove a point. And what's with these conspiracy theories? We got this dude who's just a pawn in our online game . The FBI says it all, but is it really true that the devices were viable or were they just lucky we caught him before they blew up?

So finally someone is held accountable for those pipe bombs near the US Capitol in 2021 . It's crazy to think it took them almost five years to crack the case . I feel sorry for all the families of those who might have been affected by this, not knowing what was going on for so long .

It's interesting that the government is trying to spin this as a win for their leadership , but at the end of the day it's just a case being solved . I'm glad the FBI didn't give up and kept working on it despite all the criticism . But it raises questions about how these types of investigations are handled in general and whether there were any missed opportunities to prevent this from happening .

I also wonder what would have happened if these pipe bombs had been more lethal . Would we be talking about a different outcome today? The fact that they weren't means the world is a lot safer, but it's still a sobering reminder of how easily things can escalate .

I'm surprised people thought Cole was an antifa member or that the FBI had dropped the ball on this one. I mean, it's not like it's rocket science to connect the dots with some decent surveillance footage and purchase records. And let's be real, if someone's buying components for bomb-making from multiple hardware stores in 2019-2020, they're basically broadcasting their intentions online. The fact that some folks on the far-right were spreading conspiracy theories just shows how easily misinformation can spread. Anyway, it's a solid win for the FBI and Director Wray, who's been doing a great job rebuilding trust with the public after those past setbacks. Kudos to them for keeping this investigation going despite all the noise!

I don't think we should be celebrating Cole's arrest just because it fits Trump's narrative... like, what about all the people who were actually hurt or scared on January 6? That's what should be getting attention. And btw, why did it take an FBI agent to crack the case that was basically solved in 2021? It just feels like a PR stunt to me...