Federal authorities join Austin police in probe of fatal bombings
AUSTIN, Texas — Federal authorities have joined Austin police in investigating a mysterious string of three bombings in 10 days that have left two people dead and three wounded after opening packages left at their doors.
The package bomb attacks come as nearly half a million visitors converge for South by Southwest, a time when national attention is usually focused on Austin for celebrity sightings and other entertainment news. Two blasts hours apart Monday intensified the mystery of who is targeting residents in neighborhoods that stretch from the city’s northern borders to Southeast Austin — and why.
Interim Police Chief Brian Manley said investigators think the incidents are related but have no motive. He said officials are trying to learn what connections the victims have, if any. The youngest victim, a 17-year-old, was killed Monday; the oldest was a 75year-old woman who was hospitalized after a bomb exploded at her house.
Manley said multiple people live in the homes where the “boxlike” explosive devices were left at front doors.
“We will leave no stone unturned,” Manley, who stood with Mayor Steve Adler and federal and local law enforcement officers, said from the scene of the third incident. “We will not allow this to go on in our city.”
The attacks prompted local and federal officials to plead for Austin residents to refrain from opening packages that they do not recognize or expect or that appear suspicious. They said additional resources are available to help determine whether such packages are safe.
“I want the public to be aware and cautious,” Manley told reporters. “Until we find who committed this act, it is appropriate for residents to be concerned.”
In a matter of a hours Monday, authorities put together a task force of Austin police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Manley said additional officials from Washington were en route to Austin. The Texas Department of Public Safety is involved as well, and a $15,000 reward has been offered.