DC pipe bomb suspect confesses to planting explosives after watching YouTube but says he ‘did not want to kill people’

Authorities say the Virginia man accused of planting a pipe bomb outside the Republican and Democratic headquarters in Washington, D.C., admitted to planting the explosives but claimed he didn’t mean to kill anyone.

Brian Cole Jr., 30, was taken into custody earlier this month, nearly five years after homemade bombs were found outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021 riots.

He reportedly said he planted two bombs because he felt ‘someone had to speak up’ for those who believed there was fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

He also expressed disappointment that people who questioned the election results were labeled ‘fascists’ and ‘Nazis’.

Cole said he started following the issue on YouTube and Reddit after the 2020 election when “something seemed to be going wrong” and “something started happening” and he was “stunned.”

He is currently charged with transporting explosives with intent to kill in interstate commerce.

The 30-year-old bail bondsman, described by neighbors as reclusive, was expected to appear in court Tuesday to decide whether to release him on bail. According to The New York Times.

But on Sunday, federal prosecutors released damning court documents alleging Cole confessed to the crime and gave authorities a detailed confession explaining his motive.

He told federal investigators that he was relieved his gun didn’t go off, claiming he didn’t mean to kill anyone.

‘The defendant explained: “I didn’t agree with what people were doing, like telling half the country they should just ignore it. I didn’t think it was a good idea, so I went to the protest,” Cole allegedly said of the Stop the Steal rally on January 6.

He later told agents at the FBI’s Washington Field Office that he “has never been an overtly political person” and that he generally did not discuss his political beliefs with his family to avoid conflict, according to the court filing.

He even claimed that ‘nobody knew’ his political leanings, including his family, adding that he didn’t tell them he was ‘going to a protest in support of the protest’. [then-President] Embers.’

Court documents said: ‘In his view, if people “feel that something as important as voting in federal elections is being tampered with, you know… invalidated and invalidated, then someone has to speak up, right? Someone at the top?”‘

He later added: ‘You know, just to at least calm things down.’

Cole apparently also thought that “people on both sides, including public figures,” should not “ignore people’s complaints” or call them “conspiracy theorists,” “bad people,” “Nazis” or fascists.

Instead he said: ‘If people think their votes are being thrown away, then… someone should at least address it.’

Allegedly Cole said at the end ‘after watching the whole thing something snapped, things were getting worse.’

He then allegedly stated that he wanted to do something to the ‘parties’ because ‘they are responsible’ and that he didn’t really like either political party ‘at this point’.

Cole reportedly confessed only after being shown security camera footage that prosecutors said showed him wearing a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a backpack

They said he followed the same route as the bomber on the night of January 5, 2021

But prosecutors said Cole initially insisted he wasn’t responsible for the pipe bombs, but admitted to building and planting the weapons after agents showed him footage from surveillance cameras that they said showed him in a hooded sweatshirt with a backpack, following the same route the bomber had taken that night.

“The interviewing agents reminded the defendant that lying to them was an additional offense and asked the defendant again if he was the person in the surveillance video,” prosecutors said. he wrote.

‘This time the defendant paused for approximately 15 seconds, put his head on the table and answered ‘yes’.’

Later, when asked about the planting of the bombs, Cole allegedly told the agents that he “hadn’t actually thought about how people would react when the bombs went off, but he was hoping there would be news about it.”

According to court documents, he was “considerably relieved” when the bombs failed to explode and claimed that he planted the bombs specifically at night because he did not want people to be killed.

When pipe bombs were discovered outside two buildings in the Capitol Hill neighborhood the next day, Cole allegedly threw all of his bomb-making materials into a nearby dumpster.

Cole also reportedly told investigators how he made the guns using materials he bought at Lowe’s and mixed in a Pyrex bowl.

The suspect then allegedly used a ‘spoon or measuring cup’ to pour gunpowder into the bombs, which authorities had previously said were made from threaded galvanized pipes, kitchen timers and homemade black powder.

He learned how to do this from a video game that listed ingredients and also ‘watched various science-related videos on YouTube to help himself,’ prosecutors said.

Cole, who admitted to planting the bombs, allegedly told investigators how he made them.

Federal prosecutors now say Cole should be held without bail while awaiting trial, highlighting the dangerous situation he has created.

‘The facts and circumstances of this case compel the conclusion that there is no condition, or combination of circumstances, that would reasonably ensure the safety of the public if the defendant were to be released pending trial,’ they said.

Prosecutors continued: “Although the defendant had reached a psychological breaking point, his crimes were far from impulsive.” ‘In fact, the defendant’s pipe bombs and the fear and terror they instilled in the public were the product of weeks of premeditation and planning.’

Prosecutors also noted that by targeting the headquarters of two political parties, Cole “put at risk the lives of not only innocent pedestrians and office workers, but also law enforcement, first responders, and national political leaders who were at the respective party headquarters or passing by the party on January 6, 2021, including the Vice President-elect and Speaker of the House.”

“Ultimately, the defendant’s failure to detonate one or both of his devices and the fact that no one was killed or maimed as a result of his actions was due to luck, not lack of effort,” prosecutors concluded.

‘His failure to achieve his aim does not mitigate the extremely dangerous nature of his crimes.’

Defense attorneys representing Cole, who claims to have severe autism, have not yet filed their own court papers explaining their views on their client’s pre-trial detention.

Cole’s arrest marks the first major breakthrough in the five-year investigation that stunned the agency and sparked a wave of conspiracy theories

Federal authorities were seen searching the home Cole shared with his parents, but Cole reportedly told investigators he dumped all his bomb-making materials in a nearby dumpster.

Cole’s arrest marks the first major breakthrough in the five-year investigation that stunned the agency and sparked a wave of conspiracy theories.

This comes after the FBI offered a $500,000 reward for tips that identify the suspect.

Authorities have released previously unreleased footage of the suspect prowling the streets of Washington, D.C., the night before the infamous riots.

It was reported that Cole’s arrest was not the result of a new progress in the investigation, but occurred after the FBI reviewed existing evidence collected in 2021 and 2022.

A technician at the office was then able to access cell phone data previously thought to be corrupted and implicated Cole in the crimes.

Following his arrest, federal officials accused the Biden administration of covering up the incident while the suspect remained free.

Both FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino suggested that Biden’s FBI was busy raiding President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home or investigating ‘Russiagate’ rather than going after the pipe bomb suspect.

‘When this case comes up in court you will see where we were able to gather evidence and build a case against him. [Cole] and then sensible journalists and researchers will be able to look at this and wonder why these people didn’t do X, Y, and Z years ago,” Patel said on Donald Trump Jr’s podcast.