WASHINGTON – Authorities in the nation’s capital are bracing for a series of high-profile events starting Friday, implementing tighter security after the fatal vehicle attack in New Orleans this week.

The events include Congress reconvening on Friday, lawmakers counting Electoral College votes on Monday, the late President Jimmy Carter lying in state at the Capitol Tuesday through Thursday and President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

“We have already been ramping up security, as planned, ahead of a busy month at the U.S. Capitol,” the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Thursday.

The Metropolitan Police Department heightened its security posture across the city “out of an abundance of caution” after the New Orleans attack, although there is no known threat to the city, according to Paris Lewbel, the department’s deputy director of communications.

“While we do not discuss specifics regarding operations, tactics, or staffing, the community will notice an increased police presence throughout the city,” Lewbel said.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. Friday to discuss capital security.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared the counting of Electoral College votes on Monday as a “national security event,” based on a request from Bowser, after a riot during that event in 2021 led to charges against more than 1,500 people. The inauguration is also considered a national security event. City officials said in September that they had been planning for it for months.

The designation calls for significant resources in a coordinated security plan by federal, state and local officials.

Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference with the mayor on Nov. 12 that the city hoped to have 4,000 police officers from other agencies to help provide security for the inauguration. She said city officials would meet with federal counterparts to share intelligence for the election certification on Monday and for the inauguration later this month.

In a Maryland suburb northwest of D.C., Montgomery County police said their department has a mutual aid agreement with U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police and “will provide assistance when asked.”

The FBI is investigating the New Orleans incident as “an act of terrorism” but officials said Thursday the driver, who was shot and killed by local police, apparently acted alone. Authorities have not found links between that attack and the explosion of a truck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Signs of tighter security for the upcoming events were apparent after the installation of chain-link fencing around the Capitol. Fencing has routinely been placed around the historic building following the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, which led to a temporary halt in Congress counting Electoral College votes. Security fencing is traditionally erected for the inauguration, with the Metropolitan Police Department taking the lead.

“While there is no known threat to the District of Columbia, out of an abundance of caution, MPD has heightened its security posture across the city in light of recent events,” Lewbel said. “As the nation’s capital, we maintain a heightened level of security at all times to ensure the safety of our residents, businesses, and visitors.”

The FBI on Thursday released a new video allegedly showing the Jan. 5, 2021 suspect who planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee offices in Washington, D.C. 

Along with the video, the FBI also revealed that the suspect is believed to be about 5-foot, 7-inches tall in an effort to elicit new tips from the public ahead of the fourth anniversary of the crime. 

The FBI noted that a $500,000 reward is still available for tips that lead to an arrest. 

The attempted attack occurred on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, but there is no clear link between the two events. 

FBI CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR JAN 6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT 3 YEARS AFTER US CAPITOL RIOT, OFFERS $500K REWARD

“Without being able to confirm the suspect’s identity, it is very hard to definitively establish motive,” David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office, told The Associated Press. “Therefore, it would be difficult for us to state that there is a link, although we can’t state there is not one.”

Investigators aren’t even sure if the suspect is a man or a woman. 

The suspect was wearing a grey hoodie, face mask, black gloves and Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes, the FBI said, adding that fewer than 25,000 pairs of the shoes were sold between August 2018 and the time of the attack.  

Last surveillance footage of the suspect leaving the scene after planting the second bomb.  (FBI)

“Based on attire, those are probably the most remarkable or distinctive feature when it comes to clothing the suspect wore,” Sundberg said. “We’re hoping that somebody might recognize that.”

The FBI has assessed over 600 tips, reviewed about 39,000 video files and conducted more than 1,000 interviews over the past four years. 

Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes like the ones worn by the suspect.  (FBI)

The new video shows the suspect placing the first bomb near a bench outside the Democratic National Committee building just before 8 p.m. 

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The suspect then placed the second bomb in an alley behind the Republican National Committee building at around 8:16 p.m. and was last seen in surveillance footage two minutes later walking past a row of D.C. houses wearing a backpack that investigators believe they used to transport the pipe bombs. 

“We still believe there is someone out there who has information they may not have realized was significant until now,” the narrator of the FBI video said. “We’re asking you to come forward and share that information with the FBI.” 

No one was hurt in the attempted attack and the bombs were rendered safe, but the FBI said it could have been deadly. 

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Both Vice President Kamala Harris and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were near the DNC office before the first bomb was found on the afternoon of Jan. 6 and deactivated. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

WASHINGTON – A high-security presence has enveloped the nation’s capital as officials prepare for a series of high-profile events in the coming weeks, compounded by heightened concerns following recent vehicle attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas.

Early Monday morning, U.S. Capitol Police arrested a telecommunications contractor who drove onto a Capitol sidewalk and parked. Although the incident was later deemed non-threatening, authorities are leaving no room for error amid mounting security concerns.

“We have got a lot going on here, and clearly, we want to ensure that everybody is safe,” said Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger.

The heightened precautions come ahead of several significant events, including the certification of the 2024 election on January 6, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot, and the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter, scheduled from January 16 to 18. 

President-elect Donald Trump is set to hold a victory rally at Capital One Arena on January 19, the eve of his inauguration.

Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed solidarity with those affected by the recent attacks.

“I know that collectively, we are sending our love and prayers to our fellow Americans in New Orleans, and I especially want to hold my sister mayor, LaToya Cantrell, as she leads her city through these trying times,” Bowser said.

Security measures already include steel fences, roadblocks, and an increased police presence around key venues. Officials anticipate further road closures, particularly near Capital One Arena, where vehicle restrictions are typically enforced during major events.

Given the use of vehicles in recent attacks, retired Secret Service agent Jeff James emphasized the importance of flexibility in managing security operations for events occurring in quick succession. 

“You need that ability to bring in people from other parts of the country,” he said.

With thousands of visitors expected in D.C. over the next month, officials are determined to ensure the capital remains secure amid a challenging and fast-evolving security landscape.