DC Pipe Bomb Suspect Traced Through Walmart, Home Depot Purchases, Investigators Reveal

Federal investigators have shed light on the purchases made by Brian Cole Jr., the suspect behind the pipe bombs placed outside the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5, 2021. According to an FBI affidavit, Cole bought materials for the bombs from Home Depot and Walmart, including galvanized steel pipes, end caps, and kitchen timers. The explosive devices were constructed using commercially available components, many of which were purchased by Cole in the months and years before the incident. Investigators found that Cole bought six galvanized steel pipes from multiple Home Depot stores in northern Virginia between June 2020 and November 2020. The affidavit also revealed that Cole purchased 12 black end caps and 2 galvanized end caps from Home Depot between 2019 and 2020. Additionally, he bought five 9-volt battery connectors from a Micro Center store in northern Virginia in November 2019 and December 2019. The investigation also found that Cole purchased two white kitchen timers from a Walmart in northern Virginia on June 3, 2020. These timers were used as the triggering mechanism in the pipe bombs. Cell-tower data revealed that Cole's phone connected to towers in the vicinity of the RNC and DNC between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. on January 5, 2021. This was the time window in which the bombs were planted. Cole's car was also captured on camera leaving Interstate 395 South near the Capitol at about 7:10 p.m. The FBI's investigation has provided a detailed picture of Cole's activities leading up to the pipe bomb attack, highlighting the importance of tracing purchases and cell-tower data in solving such crimes.