WASHINGTON (AP) — Brian Cole Jr., the man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national parties on January 5, 2021, confessed to investigators, sources familiar with the ongoing investigation told the Associated Press.
Cole has shown indications of supporting former President Donald Trump and has expressed his belief that the 2020 election was stolen, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the investigation.
Further details about his cooperation with law enforcement following his arrest have yet to be disclosed. Law enforcement has not provided clarity on a possible motive or any connection between Cole’s actions and the Capitol attack carried out by Trump supporters the next day.
The federal public defender’s office declined to provide comments during Cole's upcoming court appearance. Attempts to reach out to his family were also unsuccessful as of Thursday evening.
Cole faces multiple explosives charges due to the dangerous placements of the bombs, both of which were safely disarmed without injury, although the FBI stated the devices could have been lethal.
With the use of credit card tracking, investigators connected Cole to purchases related to the components of the pipe bombs, further tightening the case against him. This arrest represents the first publicly identified suspect linked to an event that has continued to perplex authorities since the Capitol’s violent uprising.
