Brian J. Cole, 30, has confessed to placing pipe bombs outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican National Committees in Washington, D.C., in January 2021. His admission comes as part of a court filing made by federal authorities, highlighting his frustration with the U.S. political system as the primary motive behind his actions.
According to the detention memo filed in U.S. District Court, Cole expressed that “something just snapped” after observing escalating political turmoil and felt compelled to retaliate against the political parties he believed were accountable for the situation. He was arrested on December 4, with the memo additionally addressing a pending hearing scheduled for Tuesday regarding his pretrial detention.
The pipe bombs were strategically placed on January 5, 2021, just a day before a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the electoral vote certification process of the 2020 election. One device was located outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters, while the other was found near the Republican National Committee headquarters, both situated in close proximity to Capitol Hill.
This detention memo provides a comprehensive account of the circumstances surrounding the bombing incident, which had sparked widespread conspiracy theories, particularly as footage of an unidentified individual near the scene circulated in the media. Cole, a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, faces charges of transporting and planting improvised explosive devices.
In the memo, it was highlighted that the U.S. attorney’s office has made an oral motion for Cole’s pretrial detention, and the memo serves to support this request. Notably, the document reveals that both bombs did not detonate as intended and were only discovered after the rioting began at the Capitol later on January 6.
The memo outlines Cole’s purchases of bomb-making materials from retail outlets such as Walmart and Home Depot, alongside earlier acquisitions made on Amazon. After his arrest, Cole initially denied involvement but later provided a detailed confession regarding how he constructed, transported, and placed the explosives.
This case sheds light on the extreme actions some individuals are willing to take in response to political discontent, illustrating the ongoing challenges surrounding political polarization in the U.S. Cole’s case serves as a reminder of the urgent need for dialogue and understanding in the current political landscape.