Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old Black man who a lived quiet, isolated life in his mother’s basement in a Virginia suburb, was just named by the U.S. Department of Justice as the suspect who planted not one, but two pipe bombs the day before the U.S. Capitol riots in Washington, D.C. For nearly five years, the J6 pipe bomb suspect was nothing more than a blurry figure in surveillance footage who successfully evaded capture day in and out. Even as federal manhunts expanded, nothing worked.
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On Jan. 5, 2021, the masked man in the video planted homemade pipe bombs near the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee offices. One of those bombs sat just 20 feet from then–Vice President Kamala Harris, forcing security to evacuate her out of the Democratic headquarters. The bombs never exploded, however, the FBI later said they were placed in “residential and commercial areas” and “could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders.” So, authorities got to work.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol Firearms and Tobacco, D.C. Police and the U.S. Capitol Police made nabbing the mystery bomber a “top priority,” but even a $500,000 reward for clues leading up to the suspect’s arrest didn’t move the needle much– until now. That eerie, years-long silence ended after Cole was not only arrested on Dec. 4, per CNBC, but after he reportedly confessed.
Who is Brian Cole Jr.?
30-year-old Brian Cole Jr., who reportedly lived in his mother’s basement in Woodbridge, Virginia, was described by family as “quiet” and “naive.” Neighbors often seen him walking a chihuahua in the Washington, D.C., suburb and wearing “shorts all winter long, no matter how cold it was,” one neighbor told The New York Times. Loretta Cole, the suspect’s grandmother, called him “almost autistic-like” who “would not hurt a fly. He’s just not that kind of person.”
Loretta added: “He’s slow. He may be 30, but he’s got the mind of a 16-year-old.”
Ironically Cole works for his father’s bail bond company, Brian Cole Bail Bonds, in Northern Virginia, who helps folks get out of jail by posting bail on their behalf for a fee. According to USA Today, the 2013 Hylton High School graduate did not have a criminal history and was not registered to vote.
Cole’s Alleged Motive
Investigators said a “disappointed” Cole allegedly believed the 2020 presidential election was “rigged,” according to the BBC, but no official motive was shared. However, two people familiar with the case claimed Cole’s political beliefs were extremist to The Washington Post.
Cole, who allegedly told authorities that he believed in conspiracy theories per TIME magazine, had been tied to statements supporting anarchism, a philosophy that centers on abolishing government, believing society functions best through voluntary cooperation and self-governance.
The Investigation
The FBI “had chased down thousands of leads, [conducted] six thousand-plus interviews” and followed “hundreds of tips” these past four years. Between 2019 and 2020, Cole allegedly used a credit card to purchase what authorities described as “multiple items consistent with the components that were used to manufacture the pipe bombs placed at the RNC and DNC” in an affidavit. Those items allegedly included pipes of the same size and shape of those in the J6 bombs, white “kitchen-style” timers and battery connectors, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
Not to mention cell phone towers near both Party’s cell phone towers allegedly showed Cole’s cell phone in that area the same night the pipe bombs were placed. A license plate reader allegedly spotted his 2017 Nissan Sentra driving past a spot “less than one-half mile from the location where the individual who placed the devices was first observed on foot” around 20 minutes later.
The “Smoking Gun”
Investigators reviewed video surveillance from Jan. 5, noting how the suspect was wearing a gray hoodie, dark gloves, dark pants and a face mask. But it was the distinctive sneakers the man was wearing that, years later, would become a critical piece of evidence.
Video showed the pipe bomb planter wearing Nike Air Max Speed Turfs, a rare style from the mid-1990s that was rereleased in 2012, and again in 2018. Unlike its popular and trendy counterpart the Air Force 1s, the Speed Turfs are rare, limited finds and typically available only on resale sites. According to reports, that meant only a small number of people owned a pair, making them relatively easy to spot.
Cole, per ABC News, reportedly admitted he got rid of the shoes with the distinct yellow logo that investigators were looking for, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said.
His Arrest
Authorities arrested Cole without incident last week in Woodbridge, Virginia, about 20 miles from Washington, D.C. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Cole was charged with transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices, transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with the intent to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property. He is also charged with attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials.
Cole’s first court appearance was on Dec. 5, where several members of his family cried as he walked into the courtroom, ABC News reported. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya set Cole’s detention hearing for Dec. 15.
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