Harrowing footage released by the FBI Wednesday shows a hooded suspect leaving pipe bombs outside offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees on the eve of the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol.
The explosives were discovered the same day rioters stormed the nation's highest house of government - and sat just blocks away from the Capitol as thousands of Trump supporters flooded the streets of downtown D.C., intent on overturning the certification of President Joe Biden's victory.
The previously unseen footage shows a person in a gray hoodie, surgical face mask, and black and light grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers gently place a bag containing a pipe bomb under a bench outside the DNC offices.
Separate footage shows the same suspect walking in an alleyway within close distance of the RNC, where local police and FBI agents discovered another pipe bomb.
© Provided by New York Daily NewsIn this Jan. 6 photo, an explosive device is shown outside of the Republican National Committee office in Washington.
In this Jan. 6 photo, an explosive device is shown outside of the Republican National Committee office in Washington.
The devices were left sometime between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Jan. 5 and were discovered at 12:45 p.m. the next day before anyone was hurt, investigators say. It's still not clear why the devices didn't explode.
The bombs were similar, each about 12 inches long with threaded galvanized pipes, kitchen timers, and homemade black powder, according to Steven D'Antuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington office, the Associated Press reported.
The FBI is offering an award of up to $100,000 for information about the explosives.
"We are asking for you to come forward and speak to us about any odd or out-of-character behaviors," D'Antuono said in a statement.