ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the Austin bombings (all times local):
5:35 a.m.
The authorities believe the suspect who died with SWAT officers closing in on him was behind all of the bombings in Austin this month, but they’re concerned that there may be other package bombs “that are still out there.”
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a news conference early Wednesday that the 24-year-old suspect is believed to have been responsible for all major Austin bombings since March 2. He refused to release the suspect’s name or discuss his background, saying that the motivation for the bombings remains a mystery.
FBI agent Chris Combs, head of the agency’s San Antonio office, says, “We are concerned that there may be other packages that are still out there.”
The four package bombs in Austin this month killed two people and injured four others. A fifth parcel bomb detonated at a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio early Tuesday.
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5:15 a.m.
Austin’s police chief says investigators don’t know the motive behind this month’s string of bombings in the Texas capital.
Police Chief Brian Manley said at a news conference early Wednesday that the suspect set off an explosive device inside of his vehicle in a suburban Austin hotel parking lot as SWAT teams closed in. One SWAT team member fired a shot at the vehicle.
Manley identified the suspect only as a 24-year-old white male. He says the suspect’s name won’t be released until his next of kin are notified.
Austin has been targeted by four package bombings since March 2 that killed two people and wounded four others. A fifth parcel bomb detonated at a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio early Tuesday.
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5:05 a.m.
Austin’s police chief says the serial bombing suspect who has terrified Texas’ capital city this month is dead.
Police Chief Brian Manley said early Wednesday that the suspect set off an explosive device in his vehicle as SWAT team members were closing in. He says one of the SWAT officers also shot at the vehicle.
Manley identified the suspect only as a 24-year-old white male. He says the suspect’s name won’t be released until his next of kin are notified.
Austin has been targeted by four package bombings since March 2 that killed two people and wounded four others. A fifth parcel bomb detonated at a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio early Tuesday.
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4:55 a.m.
The Austin American-Statesman is citing a high-ranking law enforcement official who says the suspect in this month’s bombings in the Texas capital blew killed himself with an explosive device as the authorities closed in on him.
The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to confirm the report.
The newspaper cites the official as saying that law enforcement identified the suspect in the past 24 hours based largely on information, including security video, gleaned after the suspect allegedly sent an explosive device from an Austin-area FedEx store.
Austin has been targeted by four package bombings since March 2 that killed two people and wounded four others. A fifth parcel bomb detonated at a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio early Tuesday.
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4:35 a.m.
ATF says it is with the FBI and Austin Police Department “at the scene of the individual suspected in the #packagebombmurders”.
The agency tweeted they were on the scene early Wednesday morning where heavy police activity was being reported.
The Austin Police Department had tweeted earlier that they were investigating an officer-involved shooting at the location along Interstate 35.
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4:11 a.m.
Police in Texas say they are working an officer-involved shooting but it is unclear if it’s related to the recent spate of bombings.
The Austin Police Department tweeted early Wednesday morning that the shooting happened in the 1700 block of N. Interstate 35.
There have been multiple reports of heavy police activity in the area.
Investigators have been pursuing a suspected serial bomber in Austin since the first explosion on March 2. A 39-year old man was killed. A 17-year-old boy was killed and two women were injured in two separate blasts on March 12.
On Sunday, two men — ages 22 and 23 — were injured in a blast trigged by a tripwire. A worker at a FedEx distribution center was treated and released Tuesday morning after reporting ringing in her ears.