No matter how different the lives of Texans may be, safety is a concern which all of us share. We all want to live in safe cities, and not have to be constantly worried about major threats.
But unfortunately for the great citizens of Austin, one bad actor is causing much concern. Since March 2nd, a serial bomber has put the city on high alert. And as Alex Samuels of the Texas Tribune reports, the latest attack is creating new cause for alarm…
A fourth bombing in Austin on Sunday night has placed Texas’ capital city even more on edge, with two more people seriously injured and police describing what could be a new method used to set off the most recent explosion.
“We are clearly dealing with what we expect to be a serial bomber,” said Brian Manley, Austin’s interim police chief.
In a press conference Monday morning, Manley said a tripwire mechanism appears to have been used in the most recent blast. That indicates a higher level of sophistication by the bomber than police had previously seen, and also a new level of randomness in the attacks, Manley said.
“What we have seen here is a significant change from what appeared to be three targeted attacks to an attack that could have harmed anyone,” Manley said.
Unlike previous bombings, the trip wire incident also occurred in a different part of town. So the serial bomber’s reach now extends far beyond the area of South Austin.
On Tuesday morning March 20th, yet another package exploded at a FedEx facility near San Antonio. As Bill Chappell and Scott Neuman of NPR report, this incident seems to be connected…
A package destined for an address in Austin, Texas, exploded at a FedEx distribution facility near San Antonio early Tuesday morning, reportedly resulting to a slight injury to an employee.
“One person was treated and released at the scene,” the Schertz Police Department says.
The FBI has agents at the site of the explosion, which comes after a string of bombings in Austin. FBI spokeswoman Michelle Lee says, “We believe that the explosion is likely connected” to those earlier blasts.
“There is an army of law enforcement folks that are here,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler told NPR’s David Greene. “Hundreds of federal agents, multiple federal agencies, hundreds of agents working on this outside of Austin and Texas.”
“Army” is probably not far of a stretch, as experts across the country are working hard to assist and protect the citizens of Austin. Just yesterday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott allotted nearly $250,000 in emergency funds to help equip Texas law enforcement agencies with the most current bomb detection technology available. Whoever this domestic terrorist is, and wherever they may be hiding, they can be absolutely sure that a lot of Texans are looking for them. And with over $115,000 in reward money as incentive for whoever can turn them over to Austin police, It’s only a matter of time before they are found.