ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) — Austin’s police chief says the serial bombing suspect who has terrified Texas’ capital city this month is dead.
Police Chief Brian Manley said early Wednesday that the suspect set off an explosive device in his vehicle as SWAT team members were closing in. He says one of the SWAT officers also shot at the vehicle.
Manley identified the suspect only as a 24-year-old white male. He says the suspect’s name won’t be released until his next of kin are notified.
Austin has been targeted by four package bombings since March 2 that killed two people and wounded four others. A fifth parcel bomb detonated at a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio early Tuesday.
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4:55 a.m.
The Austin American-Statesman is citing a high-ranking law enforcement official who says the suspect in this month’s bombing in the Texas capital killed himself with an explosive device as the authorities closed in on him.
The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to confirm the report.
The newspaper cites the official as saying that law enforcement identified the suspect in the past 24 hours based largely on information, including security video, gleaned after the suspect allegedly sent an explosive device from an Austin-area FedEx store.
Austin has been targeted by four package bombings since March 2 that killed two people and wounded four others. A fifth parcel bomb detonated at a FedEx distribution center near San Antonio early Tuesday.
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4:35 a.m.
ATF says it is with the FBI and Austin Police Department “at the scene of the individual suspected in the #packagebombmurders”.
The agency tweeted they were on the scene early Wednesday morning where heavy police activity was being reported.
The Austin Police Department had tweeted earlier that they were investigating an officer-involved shooting at the location along Interstate 35.
You knew the bomber was white, because Trump didn’t tweet anything about him.
I’m not happy with how so many local and federal officials are using Twitter to broadcast messages about serious matters. This is just one of a thousand examples of the use of this ridiculous platform for what deserves more complete comments than the character limit in a goddamn tweet.
I totally agree.
However, in this particular case, the announcement of this pricks death doesn’t deserve more than a tweet.
sarah sanders says bombins are ‘not terrorism’. this is one of the dumbest things i’ve ever heard, and she’s said a LOT of dumb things.
Oh Sarah, Sarah I guess they never taught you about the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham Alabama in1963.
Addie Mae Collins
Cynthia Wesley
Carole Robertson
Carol Denise McNair
Say their names Sarah.