Austin package explosion leaves teen dead, woman hurt after second blast in 2 weeks

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018...last-in-2-weeks.html

A teenager was killed and a woman was seriously hurt after a package exploded at an Austin home early Monday in a blast similar to another deadly incident nearly two weeks ago in Texas' capital city, officials said.

Austin Police said they received a call about the explosion in a neighborhood on the northwest side of the city around 6:45 a.m., after the 17-year-old resident found a package on the front step, brought it inside, and opened it in the kitchen where it exploded.

"It is very similar to the incident that occured in Austin on March 2," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters.

Manley said authorities don't believe the package came from a delivery through the U.S. Postal Service, and that it was placed on the home's front doorstep in a manner similar to the blast earlier this month.

"There are similarities we believe these cases are linked at this time," Manley said.

The Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted that a teenage male was killed and a woman in her 40s was taken to the hospital. Manley said she had non-life threatening injuries.

FBI agents could be seen going around the neighborhood, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it responded to the scene.

Damage inside the home is "significiant," according to Manley, who added that investigators are going to nearby homes to see if any outdoor surveillance footage exists.

Neighbor Cynthia Burdett, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1999 and close to the home where the blast took place, told FOX 7 she was in "total shock" and the whole incident was "very scary."

"I checked my house first of all to make sure nothing was on fire, I did look outside at that point and next thing I knew police were knocking at the door saying that there was a suspicious package, one had exploded and that I needed to leave the house," she told reporters.

She said her neighbors are very good neighbors, "church-going' people who are "a very good family."

Manley said the blast on Monday was similar to another explosion on March 2 that left a man dead.

In that incident, 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House was killed after a "device" exploded on the front porch of his home in the city's northeast Harris Ridge neighborhood about 12 miles north of Monday's blast. Both explosions occurred in the early-morning hours.

TEXAS MAN KILLED BY 'DEVICE' AT HOME IDENTIFIED

House's death was initially called a homicide, but police last week said it was considered a suspicious death because officials hadn't ruled out the possibility the victim may have constructed and accidentally detonated the device himself. Manley said that case has now been reclassified as a homicide as of Monday.

There is no known motive at this time, but Manley said both blasts took place at homes of African-American residents so authorities "cannot rule out hate crimes."

Austin police said they've determined the device was inside a package, and are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to reconstruct the item and learn who may have created it.

Manley said they've determined what the device was, but they aren't releasing details "to protect the integrity of the investigation."

Police are also asking residents in the Austin area if they do find a package on their doorstep that they were not expecting, to not open it and call 911 to have authorities examine it.

"We will not tolerate this in Austin," Manley said.

3-20-2018
Device explodes in FedEx building outside San Antonio

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018...onio-police-say.html

A device that exploded early Tuesday at a FedEx ground distribution facility in Texas, injuring one person, is likely linked to a string of bombings that have rocked the state's capital this month, federal officials said.

Schertz Police Lt. Manny Casas told Fox San Antonio a medium-sized box was on the conveyor belt when the explosion occurred. Casas said a woman was treated for a “possible sound injury” and was released. He said the blast happened shortly after midnight.

Schertz police couldn’t immediately confirm what was in the package, but law enforcement officials told KSAT the medium-sized package contained metal shrapnel and nails and was headed to Austin when it exploded on a conveyor track.

The blast drew a large response from state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. Federal agents told the Associated Press the package is likely linked to attacks in Austin.

The ATF's Houston office said it responded to the scene in Schertz. Schertz is located 22 miles east of San Antonio and 73 miles south of Austin.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wcb6092,

BREAKING: Woman injured in 2nd explosion in Austin on Monday, EMS says

https://www.statesman.com/news...i7i7aSmWoMBS5HHbfeO/

A woman in her 70s was injured in the second reported explosion at a home in Austin on Monday, Austin-Travis County EMS said.

Serial bomber or terrorist?

Except for the woman in her 70s, my first thought was someone might have been angry at having so many Amazon boxes stolen off their porch and baited a trap.

Terrible for the victims and families, and I mean no disrespect toward them, but ...

"He (Austin Police Chief Brian Manley ) also said that investigators were not ruling out the possibility of the explosions being a hate crime because the victims in those cases are African-American."

Oh.

Did I hear that there has now been a third explosion?
I've texted my niece who just moved there to not touch any unexpected packages...
This is getting crazy...

I was just reading about this a few mins ago and came here to see if there was a thread about it already.

Whack jobs are everywhere.

How to get the full attention of the FBI, ATF, and TBI. Serial bombers are investigated heavily. I bet he is caught within a month.

Where are those "Porch Pirates" when you need them?

There has been 2 explosions today. My son is working downtown in the SXSW crowd and texted a rumored report of a suspicious package at the bus station. Interesting times.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Terrible for the victims and families, and I mean no disrespect toward them, but ...

"He (Austin Police Chief Brian Manley ) also said that investigators were not ruling out the possibility of the explosions being a hate crime because the victims in those cases are African-American."

Oh.

I heard that, too. WTF? If all the victims were white, they sure as shit wouldn't have said such a thing.

Ha, Amazon package thieves blows face off stealing explosives from porch. That would be a fun headline.

I heard Manley on the news and while he said the hate crime bit it was a lower key part of the message. I thought he handled it well.

This insanity is reaching epic proportions. The world is becoming/has become a very sad place.

Three total (all in Texas).

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Terrible for the victims and families, and I mean no disrespect toward them, but ...

"He (Austin Police Chief Brian Manley ) also said that investigators were not ruling out the possibility of the explosions being a hate crime because the victims in those cases are African-American."

Oh.

I heard that, too. WTF? If all the victims were white, they sure as shit wouldn't have said such a thing.

That doesn't fit as today's bomb was outside the home of a 75-year-old Hispanic woman. It doesn't stop the news from adding that paragraph to every news story I've seen today though.

quote:

Originally posted by bubbatime:
. . . and TBI.

I think you mean the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), specifically the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), and/or Rangers.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:

"He (Austin Police Chief Brian Manley ) also said that investigators were not ruling out the possibility of the explosions being a hate crime because the victims in those cases are African-American."

The news I heard said they were all Hispanic (?)

Mix of AA and hispanic

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:
Three total (all in Texas).

All in Austin.