Austin Bombings Suspect Kills Himself With His Own Bomb
ROUND ROCK (CBS DFW) – The suspect in the Austin bombings is dead after a Wednesday morning incident along Interstate-35 in Round Rock, according to the FBI and law enforcement sources. However, officials still do not have a motive for the violence.
Police and FBI agents located the suspect's car at a hotel in Round Rock on Tuesday night. They were watching over him as he left the hotel early Wednesday morning. Authorities started to pursue the vehicle, but the suspect appeared to discover that he was being followed. He pulled over to the side of the highway.
As officers approached the vehicle, the suspect detonated a bomb inside of his car, taking his own life in the process.
One police officer also suffered significant injuries in the explosion. His current condition is not known.
Chief Brian Manley with the Austin Police Department confirmed that the suspect was killed in the explosion. At this point, he has only been identified as a 24-year-old white male. He is believed to be the person responsible for all of the package bombs in Austin dating back to March 2.
"We don't know if he was on his way to deliver another bomb, but we know he had one on him," Manley added.
Two people were killed in the Austin explosions. The first incident left a 39-year-old man dead while the second explosion, on March 12, took the life of a 17-year-old man. A third explosion also took place on March 12, and the fourth blast happened this past weekend. Four people were also injured in these explosions.
The first three packages were simply left on the doorsteps of homes in Austin while the fourth package was placed in an Austin neighborhood and detonated with a tripwire. But it was the most recent incident, an explosion at a FedEx distribution facility in Schertz, northeast of San Antonio, that led investigators to the suspect.
A package containing nails and pieces of metal blew up along an elevated conveyor belt at the facility. Officials traced that box back to a FedEx store along Brodie Lane in Austin. Using surveillance camera footage, cell phone signals, receipts and witness accounts of a car description, investigators were able to locate the suspect.
Officials have not said what mailing addresses were on the package bombs which were shipped from the FedEx store.
Also, during a news conference on Wednesday morning, Manley said, "We cannot say this individual was working alone."
While the suspect is dead, authorities cannot confirm that more package bombs were not already placed into circulation prior to Wednesday morning. This means that people should remain cautious, officials stated, and continue to be on the lookout for suspicious packages. Anything strange should be reported to police.
The freeway and service road along Interstate-35 in Round Rock, heading southbound into Austin, remain closed Wednesday morning while local, state and federal investigators are on the scene. Anybody who is heading south into the capital is urged to take another route.
"It's been a long three weeks for the community of Austin. We've seen people lose their lives and lives forever changed," added Manley on Wednesday morning. "For the families who lost loved ones and those who suffered injuries, we stand with you in your time of need."