"For two years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, and law enforcement partners have been tirelessly reviewing evidence and digital media related to this case," said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. 

To date, the FBI and our partners have conducted approximately 1,000 interviews, visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, collected more than 39,000 video files, and assessed nearly 500 tips. 

"We remain grateful to the American people, who have provided invaluable tips that have helped us advance the investigation," Sundberg said. "With the significantly increased reward, we urge those who may have previously hesitated to contact us—or who may not have realized they had important information—to review the information on our website and come forward with anything relevant," Sundberg said. "Despite the unprecedented volume of data review involved in this case, the FBI and our partners continue to work relentlessly to bring the perpetrator of these dangerous attempted attacks to justice." 

"We are proud to stand alongside our partners as we increase our reward contribution to help identify the person or persons responsible for placing these pipe bombs and threatening our community," said ATF Washington Field Division acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. "The ATF’s determination and commitment to this investigation will not waver. Public safety is of the utmost priority in this ongoing investigation, and we remain dedicated to making sure those responsible are brought to justice." 

D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said, "MPD continues to work alongside our federal partners to locate the individual or individuals behind these heinous attempted acts. We know our most powerful tool is information from our community. With your help and our federal partnerships, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department will remain focused on bringing this matter to closure—for the safety of our entire community." 

Although these bombs did not detonate, it is important to remember the suspect walked along residential and commercial areas in Capitol Hill just blocks from the U.S. Capitol with viable pipe bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders. Moreover, the suspect may still pose a danger to the public or themselves.  

In raising the reward for information about the pipe bomb suspect from $100,000 to as much as $500,000, the FBI and our partners are seeking to encourage the American public to take a fresh look at our Seeking Information website, which includes images and video of the suspect, the suspect’s backpack, the suspect’s shoes, the explosive devices, and a map of the route the suspect walked the night the pipe bombs were placed. We note that many of the components used to build the pipe bombs were widely available for purchase in-store and online. Some of the components used to construct these devices include 1x8-inch threaded galvanized pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, wires, metal clips, and homemade black powder.  

While additional details cannot be released in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation, the FBI strongly encourages the public to come forward with any relevant information. We ask those providing tips about potentially relevant persons of interest to compile and provide as many details as possible (biographic info, contact info, demographic info, proximity to Washington, D.C., in early January 2021, and access to pipe bomb components) to ensure the FBI can adequately vet the information.