FBI increases reward for information on Capitol riots pipe bomb suspect

Reward amount increased from $50,000 to $75,000 after explosive devices found near Democratic and Republican party headquarters

The FBI has upped its reward for help in identifying those involved in leaving pipe bombs in Washington DC on 6 January. 

The federal investigators had originally set the reward money at $50,000 for information leading to the “location, arrest, and conviction” of whoever was involved in placing the bomb. It has now been raised to $75,000, according to a tweet from the agency’s Washington Field Office. 

Hours before supporters of former president Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in a bid to stop the congressional certification of Joe Biden as the next president,  “multiple law enforcement agencies had received reports of a suspected pipe bomb with wire” near to the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee in DC. 

A source from federal law enforcement had earlier confirmed to ABC News that the suspected pipe bombs were active and could have caused “great harm.” The two bombs were defused before they could be detonated. 

As the mob breached the Capitol, causing lawmakers to confine themselves into offices, bomb technicians used water cannon to break the explosives apart and disable their functionality.

While the pro-Trump rioters laid siege to the Capitol around 2pm, agencies received the reports of explosive devices near Democratic and Republican Party headquarters just an hour before, at around 1 pm. The Capitol Police told CBS News that they were stretched thin since they were responding at the height of the attack. 

The poster on the FBI’s website and social media posts relating to the pipe bomb also featured photographs of a person with a grey hooded jacket, black trousers and black gloves seen carrying a bag. The FBI did not explicitly state that the person photographed was a suspect in placing the bomb.  

The agency can be contacted at 1-800-CALL FBI, while informants can also submit leads at fbi.gov/USCapitol.