3:51Brian Cole Jr. is captured in this undated yearbook image from C.D. Hylton High School, taken in 2013.C.D. Hylton High School
The Virginia man who was arrested and charged with placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committees the evening prior to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol revealed to investigators in an extensive confession that he did not intend to target the joint session of Congress convened to certify former President Joe Biden’s victory, as stated in a recent court document.
During a lengthy interrogation with law enforcement following his arrest on December 4, Brian Cole reportedly confessed to his involvement in placing the pipe bombs after initially denying any connection, according to prosecutors.
Cole claimed during the interrogation that he did not consider himself a politically active individual, but noted that after the 2020 election, he began consuming news on platforms like YouTube and Reddit, feeling that “something was wrong” and that individuals who believed “their votes are simply being disregarded” were being overlooked, according to prosecutors.
“When asked about his reasoning for placing the devices at the RNC and DNC, the defendant replied, ‘I really don’t like either party at this point,’” prosecutors wrote in their filing, outlining the interrogation. “[Cole] further indicated that the concept of using pipe bombs was inspired by his interest in history, particularly the Troubles in Ireland. The defendant maintained that his actions were not aimed at Congress or connected to the events scheduled for January 6.”
Cole reportedly stated during the interview that he had actually planned for the devices to explode and had set 60-minute timers on both after positioning them outside the DNC and RNC. After setting them, he mentioned he went to his vehicle, picked up food from a restaurant in Virginia, and then returned home.
Brian Cole Jr. is captured in this undated yearbook image from C.D. Hylton High School, taken in 2013.C.D. Hylton High School
“According to the defendant, he was not particularly considering how individuals would respond when the bombs detonated, although he expressed a desire for there to be news coverage about it,” the document stated. “The defendant mentioned that he had not tested the devices prior to placing them. He asserted that upon discovering the devices had not detonated, he felt ‘pretty relieved’ and claimed that he placed the devices at night because he did not wish to cause harm to anyone.”
After Cole saw himself in news footage released by the FBI requesting tips about his identity, he stated that he disposed of all his bomb-making materials at a nearby dump and claimed he had not disclosed his actions to anyone in the nearly five years since January 6. Prosecutors added that over the years, he appeared to have erased data from his cell phone “nearly one thousand times.”
Prosecutors unveiled the details of Cole’s alleged confession in a filing requesting a judge to keep him in custody until trial, arguing that his alleged actions and the selection of the DNC and RNC as targets “illustrate the extreme and profoundly dangerous nature of his behavior.”
“In his own words, the defendant stated he did so because he did not ‘like either party,’ but believed ‘they were in charge’ and thus, in his perspective, were fitting targets for extreme violence,” prosecutors noted. “The defendant’s choice of targets endangered not only innocent bystanders and office personnel but also law enforcement, first responders, and national political leaders who were present at the respective party headquarters or passed by on January 6, 2021, including the Vice President-elect and Speaker of the House.”
The government emphasized that it was ultimately a matter of “luck, not a lack of effort” that resulted in the devices failing to detonate and that nobody was harmed.
Cole is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday for his detention hearing at 1 p.m.
ABC News has reached out to Cole’s attorneys for a statement.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com