A former U.S. Capitol Police officer has been identified as a forensic match for the individual who planted pipe bombs near the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters on the eve of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, intelligence sources reported.

Shauni Rae Kerkhoff, 31, served as a Capitol Police officer from 2018 until mid-2021. She joined the CIA in a “security detail” shortly after leaving the police force. Sources say forensic gait analysis conducted in 2024 compared unredacted surveillance footage of the pipe bomb suspect with known video of Kerkhoff walking. The analysis produced a 94% match, later refined to 96–98% by a senior forensic examiner.

On January 5, 2021, at approximately 7:54 p.m., a suspect wearing a gray hoodie, face mask, backpack, and Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes placed a pipe bomb in bushes outside the DNC headquarters in Southeast Washington. At 8:16 p.m., the same individual planted a second device on a bench near the RNC’s Capitol Hill Club.

Both bombs were equipped with 60-minute kitchen timers but failed to detonate. The devices were discovered on January 6 between 12:40 p.m. and 12:53 p.m.—moments before rioters breached the Capitol.

Kerkhoff was on duty during the January 6 so-called riot and fired supposedly “less-lethal” munitions at protesters from the Lower West Terrace. Notably, many J6 protesters were shot above the waist by kinetic projectiles fired by police officers from the Lower West Terrace that day. Kerkhoff later testified before Congress about her actions on January 6.

Investigators note the suspect used a Metro SmarTrip card registered to an unknown user and was seen entering a vehicle in Falls Church, Virginia, around 9:00 p.m. on January 5. Kerkhoff resided in the D.C. metro area at the time and had detailed knowledge of Capitol Hill alleys and access points.

The FBI has offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to the bomber’s arrest. Nearly four years into the investigation, no charges have been filed. Former FBI Assistant Director Steven D’Antuono previously told Congress that standard procedure would be to interview the person who discovered the bombs. But the flubbed investigation even failed to do that.

The gait-analysis was part of an investigation by Blaze News. Blaze apparently obtained higher-resolution suspect footage than what the FBI publicly released. When fed into gait-analysis software alongside reference footage of Kerkhoff, the system flagged matching stride length, cadence, hip rotation, and a slight limp consistent with a 2015 tibia fracture Kerkhoff sustained in college soccer.

Three sources with direct knowledge of ongoing January 6-related probes confirmed the forensic link. “It’s a match,” one said. “The gait doesn’t lie.” Kerkhoff, now living in Alexandria, Virginia, could not be reached for comment. The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police declined to comment on active investigations.

Incoming FBI Director Kash Patel, speaking before his confirmation, said any evidence of federal involvement in the bombings would trigger a full review. “If agents or officers staged this, it’s a corruption issue of the highest order,” Patel stated.

Given numerous broken promises about the Epstein files, you can take Patel’s statement for what it’s worth. But the FBI now has a confirmed J6 pipe bomber suspect. With public pressure mounting, the handling of this apparent inside job may reflect the ability of the Trump administration to hold the Deep State accountable. Regrettably, it may ultimately reflect just how corrupted our institutions have become.