Austin Bombings

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**nels1031**

Pretty crazy news!

I vaguely remember the Unabomber, which is more related to this, but I remember when the DC snipers were at large for 3 weeks and how guarded the communities in the DMV area became because of it. When they were caught, there was a pulpable relief.

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas' capital city was rocked by a fourth bombing this month, which injured two people and was caused by a tripwire that investigators say showed "a different level of skill" than the package bombs used in the three prior attacks.

Police Chief Brian Manley told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday that both men who were injured in Sunday night's explosion in the southwestern Austin neighborhood of Travis Country are white, unlike the victims in the three earlier blasts, who were black or Hispanic. He said the blast involved a tripwire, though it wasn't clear how or where it was strung. The injured men were riding or pushing bicycles when the explosives detonated, unlike the first three attacks, in which package bombs were left on people's doorsteps.

Authorities work the scene of an explosion in Austin, Texas, Sunday, March 18, 2018. At least a few people were injured in another explosion in Texas' capital late Sunday, after three package bombs detonated this month in other parts of the city, killing two people and injuring two others. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Authorities on Monday were canvassing the area in search of anything suspicious, and residents were warned to remain indoors and to call 911 if they needed to leave their homes.

Travis Country is far from the sites of the earlier bombings, which occurred over two-plus weeks in residential neighborhoods east of Interstate 35. The highway divides the city, with the east side historically being poorer and more heavily minority than the west side, though that has changed as gentrification has raised home prices and rents everywhere.

The first of the four explosions was caused by a package bomb that detonated at a northeastern Austin home on March 2, killing a 39-year-old man. Two other package bombs exploded farther south on March 12. The first killed a 17-year-old and wounded his mother and the second injured a 75-year-old woman.

At a news conference hours after Sunday's blast, which happened around 8:30 p.m., Manley again warned people not to pick up or approach suspicious items. He also said authorities worked overnight to clear a suspicious backpack found in the area that was separately reported.

Mayor Steve Adler said the latest explosion only further raised anxieties in the city.

"That concern is legitimate and real," Adler said, adding that residents should also be reassured by the massive police response to the attacks. Droves of federal agents are investigating, along with Austin police.

"That anxiousness is going to continue until we can find the answer," Adler said.

Spring break ends Monday for the University of Texas and many area school districts, meaning people who were out of town have returned home to heightened fears.

The university's campus police warned returning students to be wary, saying, "We must look out for one another." None of the four attacks happened close to the university's sprawling campus near the heart of Austin.

Police kept residential streets near Sunday night's blast on lockdown, gradually expanding their barricades. Before daybreak Monday, Austin police pushed another alert to cellphones advising residents to continue staying indoors and to call 911 if they needed to leave their homes before late morning. Austin's school district announced that buses wouldn't be going into the Travis Country neighborhood because of police activity and that any "tardies or absences due to this situation will be excused."

But concern spread well past the immediate blast site.

Andrew Zimmerman, 44, a coffee shop worker on the city's west side, said he's lived in Austin his entire life.

"This makes me sick," Zimmerman said, noting the prospect of a tripwire being used to trigger Sunday night's explosion adds a "new level" of suspected professionalism since that kind of device is harder to guard against than just being vigilant about reporting suspect packages.

"That's what scares me a little bit," he added.

The two men injured on Sunday are in their 20s. Police said they were hospitalized with injuries that weren't life-threatening.

That's a departure from the previous explosions. They were likely related and involved packages that had not been mailed or delivered by private carrier but left overnight on doorsteps. Manley originally suggested they could have been hate crimes since all the victims of the first three explosions were black or Hispanic, but now says that investigators aren't ruling out any possible motive.

The latest explosion came hours after authorities raised the reward by $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for the first three explosions. It now totals $115,000.

Sunday was the final day of the South By Southwest music festival, which draws hundreds of thousands to Austin every March. The explosions occurred far from its activities, though a downtown concert by hip-hop band The Roots was canceled Saturday night after a bomb threat. Authorities later arrested a 26-year-old man, and the incident did not appear to be related to any previous explosions.

The PGA's Dell Technologies Match Play tournament is scheduled to begin in Austin on Wednesday, and dozens of the world's top golfers were set to begin arriving the day before.

**Frazzled**

The first three we're thought to be tied to one extended family. The fourth is much different. They still have the neighborhood shut down, looking for more boobytraps.

**godardc**

There have been 4 bombings in Austin recently ?
DakkaDakka has just became my primary source of news !

**Tannhauser42**

The scary thing about this kind of thing is you don't know if there's just one person/group behind it. Copycats can easily join in when you can potentially use the USPS to deliver your bombs for you. Hell, Amazon uses plain white vans and other unmarked vehicles for their deliveries. Who can tell if someone dropping off a package at the house down the street is legit or not?

**Desubot**

Yeah this is news to me. how terrible.

Though i dont recall package bombs being a new thing. the fact that Prime type services are so prevalent its not good.

better pay attention to whats being ordered and when its delivered.

**Captain Joystick**

Tannhauser42 wrote:
The scary thing about this kind of thing is you don't know if there's just one person/group behind it. Copycats can easily join in when you can potentially use the USPS to deliver your bombs for you.

It sounds like they're currently operating under the assumption that the perpetrator is delivering and setting up the devices himself. Delivery through mail or courier brings up a lot of potential complications.

But yes, I'm almost ashamed to say my media-fed brain immediately went to 'rival psychopaths' when it the differences were mentioned.

**daedalus**

Man, that's pretty horrible. Somehow this completely flew under my radar.

I have Hispanic family in Austin. Hope they catch the bastards responsible for both sets of attacks and do something appropriately Texan to them.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Tannhauser42 wrote:
The scary thing about this kind of thing is you don't know if there's just one person/group behind it. Copycats can easily join in when you can potentially use the USPS to deliver your bombs for you. Hell, Amazon uses plain white vans and other unmarked vehicles for their deliveries. Who can tell if someone dropping off a package at the house down the street is legit or not?

The amazon folks around here wear lanyards that very brightly identify them, but it's a lanyard; not exactly like it's any sort of real badge of authenticity.

**Easy E**

Yeah, the first three seemed like there was a "White Supremacy" connection.

The Fourth is the outlier.

**Mysterio**

Tannhauser42 wrote:
The scary thing about this kind of thing is you don't know if there's just one person/group behind it. Copycats can easily join in when you can potentially use the USPS to deliver your bombs for you. Hell, Amazon uses plain white vans and other unmarked vehicles for their deliveries. Who can tell if someone dropping off a package at the house down the street is legit or not?

I thought the story noted the packages did not go though USPS, UPS, etc. but where instead dropped off overnight?

I guess if you see a package outside your door first thing in the morning, be careful.

**daedalus**

Mysterio wrote:

I thought the story noted the packages did not go though USPS, UPS, etc. but where instead dropped off overnight?

I guess if you see a package outside your door first thing in the morning, be careful.

Sure, but the point is that if your neighbors see an unmarked white van and a dude in plainclothes dropping a package off somewhere, it's less suspicious than it would have been 10 years ago.

I've had the amazon guys deliver as late as 9 or so before even though it's supposed to get there by 8. There's a lot of people who probably don't go outside after dark, because they just have no reason to, so there's a large window of overlap there between legitimate but late amazon deliveries that might appear shady and explosive deliveries made by donkey-caves. Therein lies the problem.

**whembly**

Based on the map...
https://www.statesman.com/news/local/map-shows-location-austin-bombs/Y6FDTW2EDX3P1JYH0GN6TL/

...and the two times I've driven around Austin... seems pretty indiscriminate...no?

Also, reward up to $115,000 for his capture...

**Frazzled**

First three are in a defined area, delivered to people related to one church with the thought that one was a mustaken address. The last us just a freaking ied that took out two bicyclists.

**Co'tor Shas**

3 possiblites IMO

wanting to distract from the connection to draw police off

copycat crime

just plain random bombing, and before was a coincidence

**techsoldaten**

Austin is a weird place with a very diverse population.

The motivations of the bomber could be anything.

**Tannhauser42**

And now a bomb went off in a FedEx facility near San Antonio. Radio news reported that the box was from Austin, going to Austin, but I didn't see that confirmed in a quick look at CNN's online reporting.

**djones520**

Tannhauser42 wrote:
And now a bomb went off in a FedEx facility near San Antonio. Radio news reported that the box was from Austin, going to Austin, but I didn't see that confirmed in a quick look at CNN's online reporting.

If it's the same guy, that's his first mistake. Authorities have a trail to follow now, no matter how small it may be.

**nels1031**

djones520 wrote:
Tannhauser42 wrote:
And now a bomb went off in a FedEx facility near San Antonio. Radio news reported that the box was from Austin, going to Austin, but I didn't see that confirmed in a quick look at CNN's online reporting.

If it's the same guy, that's his first mistake. Authorities have a trail to follow now, no matter how small it may be.

I'd say the rapidity of the bombings is a mistake as well. In less than a month, they probably have more physical/forensic and most definitely more digital evidence to sift through in less than a month than the first decade of the Unabombers spree.

I guess the silver lining to this is that the bombs are relatively low yield and the targets(if they are indeed targeted) are individuals. Hopefully the bomber doesn't graduate up to public transport or other potential mass casualties scenarios.

**Tannhauser42**

In a way, there is such a thing as too much evidence. All of it has to be collected, catalogued, reported, and logged in. And then the analysis can start. With so much evidence coming in so quickly, they may not be able to spend the time they need to fully analyze the first before they're pushed to start on the second.

**whembly**

Holy Cannoli!

BREAKING: Second package is found at Texas FedEx office; police believe it is loaded with an explosive device: San Antonio police chief https://t.co/zDY0X4Nq0L pic.twitter.com/E9c88d1fdx

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) March 20, 2018

**TheMeanDM**

Besides the terrorist nature of this and the loss of life and injuries...the the thing that bothers me the most is how some people have already painted this with the brush of racism without having any/some/all the facts (and obviously without having the bomber's motivation).

I do not condone racism. However, I also do not condone anybody painting things with the racism brush when there is no clear evidence of racism.

There is already far too much fake and misleading gak that comes from the "right"....so often so many of that persuasion are so quick to believe so many false and deceptive things without checking facts.

I am a center left kind of fella....I do not like sensationalist "news" stories that unnecessarily get people emotionally charged up based on...opinion?..conjecture?...whatever you want to call it.

The "left" are not immune to the same kinds of knee-jerk emotional reactions that the "right" falls into....but if we arent vigilant about using facts and information and instead allowing divisive language and opinion to sway our thoughts...then how is there any difference between the two (in this sense)?

**whembly**

We don't know anything yet...

People are scared and are trying to rationalize why this is happening...it's hard not to try find patterns in all of this.

**Frazzled**

I have an alibi! I was being oriented by the city!

**TheMeanDM**

I "understand" the fear...however...when certain people or organizations are pushing a narrative/agenda that actually encourages MORE fear...especially from one or two specific groups within the popilus...and based on speculation and opinion...thwt is when they should be called out.

It is not constructive in any way shape or form to scare people with disinformation like that.

** I say "understand" because I have never faced such a situation so can only understand it from an intellectual stance.

**Disciple of Fate**

I'm pretty sure the rascism motive was floated when the initial victims were only African American as opposed to the now more diverse group of victims. However, the racism idea might still be valid if (heavy heavy if) its not all the same bomber and such. But would it be any different if the victims all belonged to another minority groups like Jewish for example? The same would happen I believe.

**Grey Templar**

Disciple of Fate wrote:
I'm pretty sure the rascism motive was floated when the initial victims were only African American as opposed to the now more diverse group of victims. However, the racism idea might still be valid if (heavy heavy if) its not all the same bomber and such. But would it be any different if the victims all belonged to another minority groups like Jewish for example? The same would happen I believe.

Given that this has occurred in a very short length of time, I doubt we have a copycat on our hands who is attacking more random victims while the original is only coming from a racist angle. Bomb making is a relatively slow process so it always takes a while for a copycat to appear since it requires the original to get publicity, for the copycat to get exposed to that publicity, for the copycat to gather materials to make bombs, etc... Unless the "copycat" was already gathering bomb materials, which would mean two serial bombers appearing in the same area at basically the same time, which would be a massively freaky coincidence.

Especially given the sophistication level of the bombs is relatively high and it has all occurred in a relatively short period of time, I highly doubt we have a copycat situation.

What is more likely is that its just a coincidence the first victims were African-American. He hand delivered the first bombs and then later began mailing them/setting up booby traps as he became more confidant in his bomb making. Its possible that the bomber lives in the area where the initial bombs were placed so they were more targets of convenience due to proximity.

**Captain Joystick**

So immediately after speculating that the bomber wouldn't be dumb enough to try to deliver this kind of bomb via FedEx we have confirmation of the two top reasons why coming true.

Seems they've captured an undetonated explosive at that same FedEx site, (which would be bomb #6).

That raises the question of how many more are circulating right now.

**War Drone**

Frazzled wrote:
I have an alibi! I was being oriented by the city!

Prove it!
Personally, I think you were squeezing your Wiener...

**Disciple of Fate**

Grey Templar wrote:
Disciple of Fate wrote:
I'm pretty sure the rascism motive was floated when the initial victims were only African American as opposed to the now more diverse group of victims. However, the racism idea might still be valid if (heavy heavy if) its not all the same bomber and such. But would it be any different if the victims all belonged to another minority groups like Jewish for example? The same would happen I believe.

Given that this has occurred in a very short length of time, I doubt we have a copycat on our hands who is attacking more random victims while the original is only coming from a racist angle. Bomb making is a relatively slow process so it always takes a while for a copycat to appear since it requires the original to get publicity, for the copycat to get exposed to that publicity, for the copycat to gather materials to make bombs, etc... Unless the "copycat" was already gathering bomb materials, which would mean two serial bombers appearing in the same area at basically the same time, which would be a massively freaky coincidence.

Especially given the sophistication level of the bombs is relatively high and it has all occurred in a relatively short period of time, I highly doubt we have a copycat situation.

What is more likely is that its just a coincidence the first victims were African-American. He hand delivered the first bombs and then later began mailing them/setting up booby traps as he became more confidant in his bomb making. Its possible that the bomber lives in the area where the initial bombs were placed so they were more targets of convenience due to proximity.

Well that's why I placed the heavy emphasis on the if. But this is pretty weird for one person. His MO goes from packages delivered by him, to a tripwire, then almost immediatly back to packages but now through FedEx? Pretty strange.

**Tannhauser42**

It could be more than one person, but not necessarily copycats, as they could be working together.
Everything right now, though, is "could" because we don't know enough yet.

**Frazzled**

War Drone wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
I have an alibi! I was being oriented by the city!

Prove it!
Personally, I think you were squeezing your Wiener...

I have proof! A puddle of drool where I fell asleep!

Automatically Appended Next Post:
gak another one went off at a Goodwill just now.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
That's a lot. This guy has to be running out of inventory.