A white man suspected of carrying out a series of deadly parcel bombings in the Texas state capital Austin blew himself up early Wednesday as police closed in — easing tensions in a city that has been on edge for weeks.
Police surrounded the man — identified by U.S. media as Mark Anthony Conditt — outside a hotel in the suburbs of Austin, where two people were killed and several others injured in the bombings that began on March 2.
The suspect detonated a device in his car and later died, Austin police chief Brian Manley told an early morning news conference after the dramatic end to the massive manhunt involving hundreds of federal agents and local police.
Police zeroed in on the suspect — believed responsible for five explosions — over the past 24 to 36 hours as evidence came in from video footage and witness accounts, Mr. Manley said. “The suspect is deceased. It has been a long almost three weeks for the community of Austin.”
Police said the suspect was 24, but some reports citing public records said he was 23.
While the search for the bomber is now at an end, authorities warned that he may have planted other explosives before his death. And the motive behind the attacks remains unknown.
“The investigation continues because there’s still outstanding questions,” city Mayor Steve Adler told CNN. “We don’t know where the suspect has been the last 24 hours.”
Mr. Manley noted it was still unclear whether the man was acting alone or with accomplices.
Fred Milanowski, a senior officer at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), warned that the danger was not yet over. “We want to make sure that if people see suspicious packages or bags, that they continue to call 911 so that we can respond and deal with them.”
President Donald Trump offered his congratulations to police, writing on Twitter: “AUSTIN BOMBING SUSPECT IS DEAD. Great job by law enforcement and all concerned!”
CBS affiliate KEYE in Austin published what it said were photos taken from security cameras of the suspect, wearing a blue baseball cap, gloves and possibly a wig of long, straw-blond hair as he dropped off packages Sunday at a FedEx office in Austin.
One of the bombs went off early Tuesday at a FedEx sorting facility in Schertz, south of Austin.
Under siege
On Wednesday, a contingent of law enforcement officers were seen Wednesday morning at a home in the Austin suburb of Pflugerville. Television station KXAN reported that the property may be the residence of the suspected bomber.
Residents of Austin have lived under siege for three weeks. They placed more than 1,200 calls to police to report suspicious activities and items since investigators first realized last week that they were dealing with a serial bomber.
“I think everybody is taking a deep breath this morning. It's a little tempered by the fact that the investigation is not over yet,” Mr. Adler said.
As life in Austin, a city of nearly one million people, was likely to return to normal in the coming days, some families and neighbourhoods have been permanently altered. The first explosion on March 2 killed Anthony Stephan House — a 39-year-old who grew up in the city and the father of an eight-year-old girl.
The second blast on March 12 killed 17-year-old Draylen Mason and critically injured his 41-year-old mother. Mason was a high school senior and a young musician, who played in a youth orchestra and was headed to college.
