Police in Austin say a man suspected of setting off a series of package bombs in the Texas capital this month has killed himself inside his car with an explosive device. Authorities were apparently alerted to a “person of interest” within the past 36 hours and tracked the suspect’s vehicle to a hotel in Round Rock, Texas, just north of Austin.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Per the Statesman: The suspect is a 24-year-old white male whose name has not been released, pending notification of his family.
- He is believed to have been responsible for all of the incidents: Four bombs exploded in Austin since March 2. A fifth bomb, bound for Austin, exploded in a FedEx facility near San Antonio. Another suspected package bomb, which did not detonate, was discovered yesterday in an Austin FedEx distribution center.
- Police are warning area residents to be vigilant, as they don’t know where the suspect has been for the past 24 hours or if he sent additional package bombs.
- A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the suspect bought some of the components for his explosives “fairly recently.”
- It’s still unclear if the suspect acted alone or had accomplices.
We’ll update more as we find out. You can find excellent local coverage of this developing story at the Austin American-Statesman and KXAN.
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