Four explosions have killed two people and injured multiple others in Austin, Texas. A fifth blast went off overnight.
Four explosions in Austin, Texas, that have killed two people and injured multiple others since March 2 have the city on edge and police warning of a “serial bomber.” A fifth explosion occurred shortly after midnight on Tuesday when a package believed to be bound for Austin exploded at a FedEx facility northeast of San Antonio. Federal agents say this is likely linked to the previous attacks.
Authorities aren’t sure who is behind the Austin bombings, which they’ve described as sophisticated work, or the motivations behind them. The first three bombs were packages left on doorsteps at people’s homes and exploded.
A blast on Sunday evening in a residential neighborhood in the southwest part of the city. The bomb was on the site of the road and may have been triggered by a tripwire. Two men who were walking near a fence when they inadvertently set off the bomb were injured. In response, the Austin Independent School District kept school buses out of the neighborhood, and police are warning residents to act with caution.
Officials told local outlet KSAT that the package that exploded early Tuesday was medium-sized and contained metal shrapnel and nails. It was headed to Austin when it exploded on a conveyer track, injuring one person.
The fact that the victims of the first three explosions were black and Hispanic has led to speculation that race could be a factor — although Sunday’s bombing took place in a predominately white neighborhood and injured two white people. Despite the differences, authorities are working under the belief that Sunday’s incident is connected to the previous three explosions.
It is not clear where in Austin Tuesday’s package was headed.
The Austin police are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible but thus far appear to be stumped.
“We now need the community to have an extra level of vigilance and pay attention to any suspicious device — whether it be a package or a bag, a backpack — anything that looks out of place. And do not approach items like that,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a press conference on Monday morning.
What we know so far:
- Four bombs have exploded in Austin this month, and authorities believe they’re connected. The first three were in packages; the fourth was on the side of the road.
- A fifth bomb exploded shortly after midnight on Tuesday at a FedEx facility in Schertz, Texas, when a package directed to Austin exploded on a conveyer track, injuring one person.
- The first blast occurred on March 2, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House when a package exploded at his home. Authorities initially described it as an “isolated incident.”
- On March 12, two other package explosions occurred. The first killed 17-year-old high school senior Draylen Mason. The second critically injured 75-year-old Esperanza Herrera, who was visiting her mother’s house where the package was delivered.
- House and Mason had relatives who were good friends and prominent members of Austin’s black community and appear to have had a connection. House’s stepfather, Freddie Dixon, told the Washington Post that he is close to Mason’s grandfather Norman Mason. They were fraternity brothers, and Norman Mason attended a church where Dixon used to be a pastor.
- The bomb that injured Herrera was addressed to a different home and apparently exploded while she was carrying it.
- Two men in their early 20s were injured in Sunday’s blast when they were walking near a fence and set off the bomb in southwest Austin. Both were seriously injured and remained hospitalized on Monday.
- Police say there are “similarities” between Sunday’s blast and the three previous ones and believe they are dealing with a “serial bomber.” Sunday’s explosion was set off by a tripwire, leading police to believe that the bomber (or bombers) had a “higher level of sophistication, a higher level of skill” than initially believed, Manley, the police chief, said at a press conference. Police say they are still considering whether some of the bombings might be hate crimes.
- Federal investigators are trying to determine whether the fifth blast was linked to the previous four but believe it is likely.
- Manley said in an interview with Good Morning America on Monday that authorities don’t have any specifics leading them to one suspect and are seeking tips. “However inconsequential you think it is, that may be the one piece of evidence that we need,” he said.
- The bombings have taken place around the time of the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin. A bomb threat forced the Roots to cancel a concert Saturday. A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the threat.
- The White House has yet to weigh in on the blasts.
What we don’t know:
- Who is behind the bombings.
- What the motivations are for the blasts, including whether they might be race-related.
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Breaking News: A “serial bomber” is targeting Austin: what we know - News Paper
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