DC pipe bomb suspect disliked DNC and RNC, prosecutors say

The man suspected of planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., in 2021 confessed after his arrest that "something just snapped" and he wanted to target the Democratic and Republican parties because "they were in charge," federal prosecutors said in court documents released Dec. 28.

Brian Cole Jr., 30, was arrested earlier this month and charged with transporting and planting two pipe bombs. Prosecutors accused Cole of placing two pipe bombs near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees on the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots.

The devices, which were discovered on the day of the attack, did not detonate, and no one was hurt, federal authorities previously said. Following a nearly five-year investigation, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Dec. 4 that Cole had been taken into custody.

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He made his first court appearance in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Dec. 5 and was ordered to remain jailed without bond. In a memo filed on Dec. 28, the Department of Justice requested that Cole stay behind bars while he awaits trial. A detention hearing is scheduled for Dec. 30.

The memo also provided a detailed account of statements, including a confession, that Cole allegedly made after his arrest. Prosecutors argued that Cole poses an "intolerable risk of danger" to the community and must remain detained pending trial.

"The defendant’s choice of targets risked the lives not only of innocent pedestrians and office workers but also of law enforcement, first responders, and national political leaders who were inside of the respective party headquarters or drove by them on January 6, 2021, including the Vice President-elect and Speaker of the House," prosecutors wrote.

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'I really don't like either party at this point'

Cole was arrested on the morning of Dec. 4 at his home in Woodbridge, Virginia, a city roughly 25 miles from Washington, D.C., according to authorities. The memo states that following his arrest, Cole was interviewed by investigators for hours and initially denied manufacturing, transporting, and planting the pipe bombs.

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When investigators asked about his whereabouts on Jan. 5, 2021, Cole said he drove to Washington, D.C. by himself to attend a protest related to the 2020 election, the memo added.

"I didn’t agree with what people were doing, like just telling half the country that they – that their – that they just need to ignore it. I didn’t think that was a good idea, so I went to the protest," the memo states, quoting Cole.

But as the interview continued, prosecutors alleged that Cole confessed to traveling to Washington, D.C., to place the two pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC. He also allegedly told investigators that if people feel "something as important as voting in the federal election is being tampered with ... then, like, someone needs to speak up, right? Someone up top," according to the memo.

"The defendant felt that 'the people up top,' including 'people on both sides, public figures,' should not 'ignore[e] people’s grievances' or call them 'conspiracy theorists,' 'bad people,' 'Nazis,' or 'fascists,'" the memo continued.

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After investigators questioned Cole's motive, he said "something just snapped" after "watching everything, just everything getting worse," and that he wanted to do something "to the parties" because "they were in charge," according to the memo.

Prosecutors added that when Cole was asked why he placed the devices at the RNC and DNC, he responded: "I really don’t like either party at this point."

Suspect told investigators he was 'pretty relieved' bombs did not go off

According to the memo, Cole also detailed his construction, transportation, and planting of the pipe bombs to investigators during the interview. He told investigators that he made black powder using charcoal, sulfur dust, and potassium nitrate that he bought from Lowe's Home Improvement.

Cole said he learned how to make the black powder from a video game and by watching science-related videos on YouTube, the memo states. Prosecutors said he then assembled the pipe bombs "in the hours" before he drove to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021.

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"The defendant placed one of the devices in his backpack, exited his car, and walked toward the DNC. He set the timer on the first device to the maximum duration (60 minutes) and planted the device near the DNC," according to the memo. "The defendant then returned to his car, retrieved the second device and placed it in his backpack, and walked to the RNC, where he set the timer for 60 minutes and planted the device."

Later in the interview, the memo states that Cole said he had not tested the pipe bombs before planting them. The memo added that when Cole learned that the pipe bombs did not detonate, "he was 'pretty relieved,' and asserted that he placed the devices at night because he did not want to kill people."

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DC pipe bomb suspect confessed to planting explosives: Court docs

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