[Breaking news alert, posted at xxxx a.m. ET Wednesday]
The suspect in the Austin explosions has died, multiple CNN affiliates in Austin reported, citing law enforcement sources. CNN is working to confirm this latest information.
[Previous story, posted at 4:32 a.m. ET Wednesday]
While police don’t know the identity or motive of the Austin bomber, one thing is clear: the goal is to cause “mayhem and death,” a federal law enforcement official said late Tuesday.
Since March 2, a serial bomber has terrorized the Texas capital, leaving several explosive packages around the city.
In the latest incident, a package exploded at a FedEx sorting center near San Antonio on Tuesday, and a second unexploded bomb was discovered on the same day at another FedEx facility near Austin. Those two packages are connected to four previous bombings that left two people dead.
The bomber doesn’t appear to be targeting one group, the source said.
A possible explosion reported Tuesday night at a Goodwill store in Austin turned out to be unrelated. In that incident, an employee was injured by two “artillery simulators” in a donation box, said Ely Reyes, Austin’s assistant police chief.
Latest developments
Highway closure: Police shut down parts of Interstate 35 for four to six hours early Wednesday following an officer-involved shooting. It’s unclear whether it was related to the explosions investigation.
Lots of officers: Police cars swarmed the area as sirens blared, with police, the FBI and other federal agencies at the scene.
Secured: FedEx said the person who sent the package that exploded Tuesday also shipped a second one that was turned over to law enforcement officials.
Evidence: The company said it provided authorities with “extensive evidence” from its security system on the packages and the person who shipped them.
Connected: Austin police and the FBI say the two packages at separate FedEx facilities are connected to the four previous package explosions in the Texas capital.
Wrong target: In the incident near San Antonio, the device detonated on an automatic conveyor, Police Chief Michael Hansen said. A female employee was treated on site and released. The FedEx facility was not the intended target.
Unrelated: The Goodwill employee was injured when one of the “artillery simulators” in the box of donated items “initiated,” Reyes said. The employee was treated and released from a hospital, Reyes said.
Numerous calls: Austin Police say they’ve responded to 1,257 reports of suspicious packages since March 12.
The residents
With every change in the bomber’s tactic, Austin residents are getting increasingly nervous.
Grocery stores, apartment buildings and restaurants have been evacuated at a moment’s notice as investigations intensify.
“This is terrorizing the city of Austin,” Rep. Michael McCaul told President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
The investigation
As investigators search for answers, they are checking the cameras at the facilities from Tuesday’s incidents, the source said.
Investigators believe the same person is behind all the devices, the source said, adding that the devices have a lot of consistencies. They are similar in the way they are made and use the same items, including a “mouse trap” or a “close pin” switch, according to the source.
“We made one to show everyone what it looks like and we did it in an hour,” the source said. The the bombmaker may have taken longer to do it to avoid blowing themselves up, according to the source.
The level of bombmaking skill doesn’t necessarily point to military experience, the source added.
Investigators said the package that was found intact Tuesday may yield some clues.
“Now we have the blueprint and possible DNA on the inside of the bomb. So teams are working to render it safe and then look for DNA,” the source said. The outside of the package would have been touched by employees at the store where it was dropped off and by the bombmaker, the source said.
The bombmaker may have been wearing gloves.
The explosions
Of the four previous explosions in Austin, the first three involved cardboard packages left in front yards or on porches. They weren’t delivered by the US Postal Service or services such as UPS or FedEx, police say.
Those three explosions — one on March 2 and two more on March 12 — killed or wounded three African-Americans and one Hispanic person. They happened in east Austin areas with predominantly minority residents. Some residents expressed concern the attacks might have been racially-motivated.
The victims
The first explosion killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House on March 2. The second blast on March 12 killed 17-year-old Draylen Mason. The third blast happened several hours later and critically injured a 75-year-old woman.
Those three blasts all happened after someone left explosives-laden packages on the victims’ doorsteps.
In the fourth blast, a device was triggered by a tripwire, injuring two white men in a predominantly white area.
Police have not ruled out the possibility that those bombings could be hate crimes. They urged residents to pay attention to their surroundings, and not approach or touch anything that looks suspicious.
