Worker injured as fifth explosion linked to series of Texas bombings
A PACKAGE bomb authorities believe is linked to the recent string of bombings in Austin, Texas, has exploded inside a Fedex distribution centre near San Antonio.
FBI special agent Michelle Lee said the explosion happened at around 1am local time at a Fedex facility in Schertz, northeast of San Antonio and about 60 miles south-west of Austin.
One worker was treated for minor injuries and released, according to statements issued by the Schertz police department and Fedex. Ms Lee said although it is still early in the investigation, “it would be silly for us not to admit we suspect it’s related” to the four Austin bombings that have killed two people and injured four others since March 2.
She did not have details about the size, weight or description of the package.
The most recent bombing in Austin injured two men on Sunday night in the quiet neighbourhood of Travis Country in the south-east of the city.
It was triggered on a street by a nearly invisible tripwire, suggesting a “higher level of sophistication” than agents saw in three early package bombs left on doorsteps, according to Fred Milanowski, agent in charge of the Houston division of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sunday’s attack means the carnage by a suspected serial bomber who has terrorised Austin for weeks is now random, rather than targeted at someone in particular.
Authorities have not identified the two men injured on Sunday, saying only that they are in their 20s and white.
But William Grote said on Monday his grandson was one of them and he had what appeared to be nails embedded in his knees.
Police described the men’s injuries as significant and both remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Mr Grote said his grandson was conscious but was still in a lot of pain.
He said that on the night of the bombing, one of the victims was riding a bike in the street and the other was on a pavement when they crossed a tripwire that he said knocked “them both off their feet”.
“It was so dark they couldn’t tell and they tripped,” he said. “They didn’t see it. It was a wire. And it blew up.”
Mr Grote said his son, who lives about 100 yards from the blast, heard the explosion and raced outside. “Both of them were bleeding profusely,” Mr Grote said.
Austin resident Leith El-hassan, 42, said he initially mistook the explosion for thunder. “We don’t know what’s next,” he said. “They have no suspect. It’s just sad that someone is so angry they do this random stuff.”
Nearby resident Richard Herrington, 75, said he heard the blast and immediately knew it was a bomb.
“My initial emotional reaction was, ‘Oh my goodness, I walked my granddaughters right by there’,” he said, adding that he was encouraged by the law enforcement response.
“At this point we are probably in the safest neighbourhood you can possibly be in.”
The tripwire explosion was a departure from the first three bombings, which involved parcels left on doorsteps that detonated when moved or opened.
The tripwire twist heightened the fear around Austin, a town famous for its cool, hipster attitude.
“It’s creepy,” said Erin Mays, 33. “I’m not a scared person, but this feels very nextdoor-neighbour kind of stuff.”
Authorities repeated prior warnings about not touching unexpected packages and also issued new ones to be wary of any stray object left in public, especially ones with protruding wires.
“We’re very concerned that with tripwires, a child could be walking down a sidewalk and hit something,” Christopher Combs, the FBI agent in charge of the bureau’s San Antonio division, said.
Police originally pointed to possible hate crimes, but the victims have now been black, Hispanic and white and from different parts of the increasingly diverse city.
Domestic terrorism is among the variety of possible motives at which investigators are looking.
Local and state police and hundreds of federal agents are investigating, and the reward for information leading to an arrest has climbed to 115,000 dollars (£82,000).
“We are clearly dealing with what we believe to be a serial bomber at this point,” Austin police chief Brian Manley said, citing similarities among the four bombs.
While the first three bombings all occurred east of Interstate 35, a section of town that tends to be more heavily minority and less affluent, Sunday’s was west of the motorway.
The differences in where the blasts have occurred, the lack of a motive and other unknowns make it harder to draw conclusions about a possible pattern, further unnerving a city on edge.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state is committing $265,000 to the effort to solve the bombings.
“I want to ensure everyone in the Austin region and the entire state that Texas is committed to providing every resource necessary to make sure these crimes are solved as quickly as possible,” Abbott said.
“I offer my sincere thanks to law enforcement at the local, state and federal level for their efforts to ensure that those responsible for these attacks are apprehended and brought to justice.”
We’re clearly dealing with what we believe to be a serial bomber at this point