Texas bombing suspect blows himself up
AUSTIN: The Texas man who police say carried out a threeweek deadly bombing spree made a 25minute video ‘‘confession’’ on his phone, which authorities recovered after he blew himself up yesterday, as officers closed in to make an arrest.
Mark Conditt (23), an unemployed man from the Austin suburb of Pflugerville, detailed how he made all seven bombs that have been accounted for — five that exploded in public, one that was recovered before it went off, and a seventh that he detonated as police rushed his vehicle early yesterday.
‘‘He does not at all mention anything about terrorism, nor does he mention anything about hate, but instead it is the outcry of a very challenged young man, talking about challenges in his personal life,’’ Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said.
‘‘I would classify this as a confession,’’ Manley said.
Conditt, who had never before been in trouble with the law, killed two people and wounded five with a campaign of violence that began on March 2, authorities said.
Police recovered a ‘‘target list’’ of addresses for future attacks, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing US Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
The video indicated there were no more devices unaccounted for.
Conditt probably made the video when he believed police were getting close to him, and he was right.
By yesterday morning, police had tracked Conditt to a hotel and were waiting for the arrival of tactical units and equipment before they planned to make an arrest, but then Conditt drove away.
Police followed and decided to stop him before he got on the highway. Just as officers approached the vehicle, the explosion went off, Manley said. There was also some police shooting. The trail of clues leading investigators to the serial bomber ranged from store receipts and fragments of boobytrapped packages to surveillance video of the suspect in a hat and wig.