Texas bomber kills himself

A MAN who terrified residents of Austin, Texas, with a three-week bombing campaign that killed two people, blew himself up on the side of a highway north of the city as police closed in on him yesterday, police officials said.

Police had tracked the suspect to a hotel near Austin, the state’s capital city, and were following his vehicle when he pulled to the side of the road and detonated a device, killing himself, Austin police chief Brian Manley said.

He said the suspect was white, but declined to give his name.

The man was believed to have been responsible for six bombs around Austin, including five that detonated, since March 2.

What had motivated the bombing campaign or whether the suspect had had help was not yet known.

The series of bombings killed two people and injured at least five others, unnerving residents of Austin, which has a population of about one million.