Explosives found in bomber’s home
Man killed self as officers moved in on his vehicle
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas – Authorities searching the home of the Austin bomber, who blew himself up in his car Wednesday as police closed in, found a trove of bomb materials in his home and evacuated a four-block area to avoid more death or injury.
The explosives were found in the residence of Mark Anthony Conditt hours after the 23-year-old man died in a ditch near Round Rock as two SWAT team members approached his vehicle.
Christopher Combs, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, said “a considerable amount” of bomb-making apparatus was found in one room in the suspect’s house.
The materials were consistent with those found in other devices connected to the suspect. No fully made bombs were found, Combs said.
Asked whether the threat to public safety has lifted, Combs replied, “Stay vigilant.”
Authorities said the motive for the attacks remains a mystery. They were also unsure whether Conditt acted alone in making and delivering the five bombs in the Texas capital and suburban San Antonio that had killed two people and wounded four others since March 2.
Federal agents who descended on Conditt’s frame house in Pflugerville detained two of his roommates before letting one go.
Inside, according to a statement by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Austin police, they found the cache of bomb materials before they cleared an area around the house “in an abundance of caution.”
Authorities also warned Austin residents that Conditt may have also planted or mailed other bombs during the past 24 hours.
NBC News reported a key part of the puzzle was the discovery of an “exotic” and foreign battery in each explosive, which helped authorities tie the bombings together.