Explosion at Austin Goodwill brought bomb scare, new donation policies.
When an explosion was reported at a Goodwill store in Southwest Austin on Tuesday night, people immediately thought it was yet another package from the serial bomber who has terrorized Austin for weeks.
National and local media swarmed to the scene on Brodie Lane, about four miles south of the FedEx store linked to the bomber earlier that day. Even after police said there was no connection between the Goodwill explosion and the bomber, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton insisted in an interview with Fox News that the serial bomber was involved. Paxton later backtracked.
In fact, officials say the Goodwill explosion was totally unrelated to the bomber, identified by law enforcement as 23-yearold Mark Conditt, who apparently killed himself as police closed in on him early Wednesday.
The minor detonation at Goodwill was caused when a Goodwill employee was handling a donated artillery simulator, a military training device that makes a loud noise and can ignite. The employee sustained minor injuries.
Now some thrift stores like Goodwill who depend on donations to survive are still taking precautions — at least for the time being — to protect their employees from potential harm.
The Austin Police Department has urged people to remain vigilant while they determine whether other potentially dangerous packages remain out there. Therefore, Goodwill is not accepting any donations that come in sealed boxes and bags unless the donor opens them in front of an employee, said Valerie Swift, spokeswoman for Goodwill of Central Texas. Employees are being “hyper-vigilant,” Swift said.
The Salvation Army instituted a policy a few weeks ago against taking in-kind donations at their shelters or area command offices, said spokeswoman Jan Gunter. That policy and any other potential changes are currently being discussed.
Austin Pets Alive Thrift will not be accepting packages today, but the situation remains fluid, said Austin Pets Alive executive director Ellen Jefferson. “It’s just a precautionary measure to make sure we’re not accidentally harming any of our people,” she said. “Hopefully it’s just today.”