Austin told to ‘stay alert’ for more bombs
POLICE have warned people in Austin to remain vigilant in case the suspected bomber whose deadly explosives terrorised the city for three weeks planted more bombs before his death.
Mark Anthony Conditt, an unemployed college dropout who bought bomb-making materials at a DIY store, was tracked down using store surveillance video, mobile phone signals and witness accounts of a customer shipping packages in a disguise that included a blonde wig and gloves. His motive remained a mystery.
Police finally found the 23-year-old early on Wednesday at a hotel in a suburb north of Austin.
Officers prepared to move in for an arrest, and when the suspect’s SUV began to drive away, they followed.
Conditt drove into a ditch on the side of the road, and SWAT officers approached, banging on his window. Within seconds, the suspect had detonated a bomb inside his vehicle, blasting the officers backward, Austin police chief Brian Manley said.
One officer then fired his weapon at Conditt, the chief said. The medical examiner has not finalised the cause of death, but the bomb caused “significant” injuries, he said.
Police discovered a 25-minute video on a mobile phone found with Conditt, which Mr Manley said he considered a “confession” to the bombings but gave no motive.
“It is the outcry of a very challenged young man talking about challenges in his own life,” he added.