TX - Austin Package Bombs

[leyash]

Don't be overly alarmed, but be vigilant. If not expecting package, don't open it. Call 911. Report it.

 

[leyash]

They weren't delivered through the mail, USPS has no details about packages delivered to the address from last week. Not sure about the ones from today.

 

[matou]

How far away were the locations of the two packages from today? What times did the explosions occur?

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

how could these NOT be connected. (or copycats, which are still oddly connected as one comes from the other)

 

[stmarysmead]

How heinous if these are racial hate crimes! They are also terrorism because they impose dread and fear on an entire city and community! Sickening!

 

[leyash]

This is investigation is ongoing, thinking all three are related. Preliminary stages.

Time for questions.
We do not know whether the victims are the intended targets. They are being left at homes where there are multiple residents, or they could be the wrong addresses. Trying to figure out what is in common.

These are box deliveries, that's the packaging they are in. Don't limit it to anything. If you receive a specific package, boxes or otherwise, call 911 if not expecting a delivery.

We did believe the first one was an isolated incident. Standing here today after these two, initial review, we do believe these are related at this time.

We are not going into specifics on the packages to protect investigation.

We are a large city, with a large PD, and we will manage this. We have had offers from assistance to bring in help if needed. We are working through that. Putting our plan together, we brought in additional explosive K9 scenes to answer to calls reporting suspicious packages. Need community participation.

We do not believe that this package here today was left by any official mail delivery services. That will be part of the investigation.

 

[leyash]

These devices can be exploded in many ways. Moving, opening, etc. Do not open, do not move it. Call us.

The victims when they see the package, they've handled them in some way or another, and that's when the explosion has happened. We are working on victimology right now. We are looking for commonalities among victims. At this point, we've not yet determined that.

 

[Elley Mae]

The three explosions occurred in different parts of east Austin. Monday's first explosion happened at a home near the city's Windsor Park neighborhood and about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the home where the March 2 package bomb killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House. His death was initially investigated as suspicious but is now viewed as a homicide.

Monday's second explosion — the cause of which was still being investigated — happened in the Montopolis neighborhood, near the airport and about 5 miles south of the day's first blast.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article204666734.html

Manley said investigators believe the March 2 attack and Monday's first explosion are related. In both cases, the packages were left overnight on the victims' doorsteps and were not mailed or sent by a delivery service.

 

[PrairieWind]

Regardless of motive, these type of bombings are really disgusting and heinous because the bomber has NO idea who is going to pick up that package. I think of all the times I get packages on the step and my son is always excited to go get them and bring them in.

 

[matou]

No one is ringing the door bell. The packages are being discovered by residents on their doorsteps.

 

[PrairieWind]

No one is ringing the door bell. The packages are being discovered by residents on their doorsteps.

Perhaps delivered in the night or early morning dark?

 

[Christineisfab]

I was hoping I would find this on here. This is terrifying! I didn't watch the presser but did read Leyash's notes-- has there been mention on whether the packages had a name or address on it? I wonder if these were sent to specific targets or if it was random or based on a different factor (like race, as the police have noted.)

It's scary to think that, because of the shopping habits of my BF and I, I wouldn't think twice to see a package on my doorstep that I may not be expecting.

 

[Elley Mae]

Image here appears to be in church.


http://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-police-identify-man-killed-in-explosion
...

Special Agent Michelle Lee, a San Antonio-based spokesman for the FBI, said the agency responded to both events and was assisting Austin police, who were leading the local investigation. She said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was leading the federal investigation.

A second package was discovered near the site of the initial Monday explosion and that some residents and media members were evacuated or pushed farther from the blast site as authorities determined whether it was a bomb, Manley said.

http://m.brownsvilleherald.com/news...100-d1fb-5f9c-a62c-98b0fd762ebb.html?mode=jqm

.....

She said her neighbors are very good neighbors, "church-going" people who are "a very good family."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/1...woman-hurt-after-second-blast-in-2-weeks.html

 

[JaimeInLA]

How is this person not on camera?! Many, many homes have Ring doorbells with cameras (that capture/record all motion, whether the bell is rung or not) and others on the street must have security cameras!

 

[BrownPaperBag]

The victim of the 2nd bombing today (3rd in 10 days) was a 75 year-old Hispanic woman per minute 10 of this press conference.

 

[Elley Mae]

Police said that the three explosions — all of which involved packages left at homes — are believed to be connected. Authorities have also said they are exploring whether the blasts could be related to racial hatred, noting that two of the explosions have struck black victims and a third seriously injured an elderly Hispanic woman.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ious-packages-as-more-explosions-rock-austin/

Relatives on the scene identified the woman injured in the third blast as Esperanza Herrera. They also said her mother, Maria Moreno, suffered minor injuries.

 

[Elley Mae]

In the latest explosion just before noon, a 75-year-old Hispanic woman walked outside her home in southeast Austin and found a package. It exploded when she picked the package up, Interim Chief of Police Brian Manley said, describing the packages used as average size boxes, that are “not exceptionally large.”

http://kxan.com/2018/03/12/one-dead-one-hurt-in-package-explosion-in-east-austin/

Chief Manley said one of the residents had taken a package from the front porch inside and it exploded when they tried to open it in the kitchen. A woman injured in the explosion had non-life threatening injuries.


Anthony Stephan House died after the explosion on his front porch around 6:55 a.m. March 2, in the 1100 block of Haverford Drive, which is about 12 miles away from Oldfort Hill Drive neighborhood.

 

[Christineisfab]

Map per CNN of the explosions:

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

she's 75 and her mother was injured as well? Wow. May they both pull through. No one deserves this.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/12/us/texas-austin-blasts/index.html