Michael Anthony Conditt, the 24-year-old male suspect in the Austin bombings, blew himself up in his car early this morning after the police chased him. From KXAN:
The explosion happened on Interstate 35 in Round Rock near Old Settlers Boulevard around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators had recently identified a 24-year-old white man as a person of interest and then a suspect, and found the vehicle he was known to drive at a hotel in Round Rock.Law enforcement took up positions around that hotel and was waiting for APD’s tactical team to arrive to take the suspect into custody when he started to drive away. Officials followed, and the man pulled to the side of southbound I-35.When SWAT approached, Chief Manley says the man detonated a bomb, which knocked one SWAT officer back and gave him minor injuries. Another officer who is an 11-year APD veteran fired at the suspect. He will be placed on administrative duty, per APD policy.
Manley said they still do not have a motive and there may be bombs out there:
He also warned the public that officials do not yet know what the suspect did in the past day, and they don’t know if there are any more devices in the community. Law enforcement officials warn residents in Austin and surrounding communities to be vigilant and report anything suspicious.”If you see something that looks suspicious, If you see something out of place, If you see something that gives you concern, call 911 and let us know,” Manley said.Another media outlet in Austin received surveillance photos of what appears to be the suspect inside the FedEx shipping store on Brodie Lane. The pictures show a timestamp of March 18, 2018 at 7:37 p.m. The suspect, who has blonde hair, is wearing a baseball cap and can be seen carrying two packages. His hands appear to have gloves on them.
The man terrorized Austin for the entire month. Anthony Stephan House, 39, died, after he picked up a package on his front porch on March 2. Draylen Mason, 17, died on March 12 when he picked up a package on his porch. That explosion injured his mother. Only hours later, another explosion happened and injured Esperanza Morena Herrera, 75.
At first the police thought the suspect based his attacks on race. However, on Sunday, an explosion caused by a trip wire injured two white men as they rode on their bikes.
A fifth explosion occurred on Tuesday at a FedEx facility, which “led authorities to another suspicious package at the FedEx facility in Austin.” They did not identify the recipients of the packages, but they have been in touch with them.
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