Suspected bomber blows himself up
WASHINGTON: AUSTIN BOMBING SUSPECT IS DEAD. Great job by law enforcement and all concerned!
DONALD TRUMP,
US President on Twitter
A man suspected of carrying out a series of bombings in and around Austin, Texas blew himself up as law enforcement officials closed in on him on Wednesday, authorities said.
The suspect, a white 24-yearold, has not been identified and there was no word yet on his motivation. Surrounded by SWAT team members, he blew up the car he was in. An officer had also fired at the suspect, police said.
Two people had been killed and at least five were injured in the five bombings he carried out, starting March 2. The last of them occurred on Tuesday. On the same day, a sixth explosive was detected before it went off.
An incendiary device went off injuring one person at an employment-facilitating company in Austin on Tuesday evening, but police said investigations revealed it was not connected to the other bombings.
The FBI had announced a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the bomber(s), and is leading a manhunt that involved 500 personnel drawn from every speciality unit that there can be.
And in an unusual move, the agency had asked the individual(s) responsible to get in touch. “We would like him to reach out and talk to us,” said Christopher Combs, FBI head of the nearby San Antonio division.
But Fred Milanowski, a senior officer at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, warned that the danger was not yet over. “We want to make sure that if people see suspicious packages or bags, that they continue to call 911 so that we can respond and deal with them,” he said.