Federal authorities again increased the reward for information about the bomber and released new details and photos of a suspect on Friday, underscoring the urgency with which the Justice Department is addressing this angle of investigation, which remains one of the mysteries. most worrying for the police.
The FBI also identified the suspect’s shoes as yellow, black and gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers, and included enhanced photos of them, along with photos of the devices.
The reward for information leading to the location, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for placing the bomb is now $ 100,000. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had already increased the reward once – to $ 75,000 – earlier this month.
CNN was the first to report on Wednesday that the bombs were 20 centimeters long and made of galvanized steel, according to a law enforcement official. They were linked to egg timers and filled with explosive powder, the official said. Investigators examined the remains of the devices at the FBI laboratory in Virginia and urged the public to send information, concerned that the bomber might still be working.
The bombs were discovered with a minute difference around 1:00 pm ET on January 6, just as a crowd of furious supporters of President Donald Trump descended on the building after a close rally with the president , according to a report by the interim head of the US Capitol gave to lawmakers on Tuesday and the FBI poster.
Officials from ATF, FBI, US Capitol Police and DC Metropolitan Police responded to the scene in the two offices, which are less than four hundred meters from each other and a few blocks south of the Capitol, and the bombs were safely detonated on the spot by robots .
Investigators are considering the possibility that the devices are part of a plan to divert police resources away from the Capitol, as protesters began to forcibly enter. The devices were placed outdoors.
One, from the offices of the Republican National Committee, was discovered by a 36-year-old woman returning from a laundry.
It is not yet known why the devices did not explode, the law enforcement official told CNN earlier this week. One theory under investigation is that the timers have been set incorrectly. Another is that the batteries may have been connected incorrectly, the official said.
A photo of the person believed to have planted the bombs, taken from surveillance images, was widely shared by authorities.
In the photos, the person appears in a gray hooded sweatshirt and carrying a backpack.
This story has been updated with additional information.