The Suspected Austin Bomber Is Dead After Setting Off Explosion During Chase — Here's Everything We Know
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On Wednesday morning, a 24-year-old man who police believe had a hand in a string of package bomb explosions across Austin, blew himself up in his own car as police approached. Authorities have identified him as Mark Anthony Conditt, but do not know whether he acted alone. Here's what we know.

The Suspect Blew Himself Up After A Police Chase

Law enforcement received information leading them to the suspect within the last 36 hours, according to authorities. Police were able to track the suspect's car to a hotel in Round Rock, a city north of Austin. When they arrived, they found him already in his car.

A SWAT team reportedly surrounded the hotel, but before backup was able to arrive, the suspect fled the hotel. 

The suspect reportedly pulled over along Interstate 35 frontage road. As a SWAT member approached, the suspect detonated a bomb that injured himself and the approaching officer. 

Another officer then shot at the suspect. It's unclear whether the gunfire or the explosion ultimately killed the suspect.

Not Much Is Known About The Suspect 

In an early-morning press conference, Austin police chief Brian Manley did not have much information on the suspected bomber, nor his motives:

"We do not understand what motivated him to do what he did," Chief Manley said.

Law enforcement officials cautioned that the bomber could have planted other explosives that have not yet detonated. "We still need to remain vigilant," Chief Manley said. "We do not know where he has been in the past 24 hours."

He added, "This investigation is still underway, so we cannot say that this was an individual acting on their own."

[The New York Times]

Surveillance video from a FedEx reportedly shows grainy footage of Conditt. The New York Post has also obtained a picture of Conditt.

 

'Exotic' Batteries And His Cell Phone Use Reportedly Helped Police Find The Suspect

Police tell NBC that "exotic" batteries used in the bombs linked the incidents together and allowed authorities to find the suspect through tracking online orders.

Police also reportedly used the suspect's cell phone use to track him — collecting a list of numbers that were in the area of each attack at the time. The suspect reportedly turned his phone on hours before the hotel standoff which led police to his location.

Authorities Say A Sixth Explosion May Not Be Linked To The Previous Bombings

Tuesday afternoon, a sixth explosion injured a man in his 30s at a strip mall south of downtown Austin, but authorities say they don't believe it was related to the previous bombings, calling the explosion the result of an "incendiary device," rather than a bomb.

 

The Fifth Bomb Exploded At A FedEx Shipping Center 

A fifth explosion reportedly occurred around 1 AM Tuesday in the sorting area of a FedEx shipping center in Schertz, Texas (near San Antonio). The bomb, which exploded while on an automated conveyer belt, caused one minor injury. Authorities say that the package was addressed to a home in Austin and that it had come from Austin as well.

Investigators also found a second unexploded bomb at the McKinney Parkway FedEx facility in Austin.

Both packages were sent by the same person from Sunset Valley in Austin. 

Police Suspect The Bomb Was Related To Four Explosions That Have Rocked Austin In The Last Three Weeks

FBI Agent Michelle Lee said "It would be silly for us not to admit that we suspect it's related" to four package bombs that have exploded in Austin in the last three weeks. 

 

Four bombs have wreaked havoc on the Austin community, killing two, injuring others, and creating a sense of paranoia throughout the city.

Police Chief Brian Manley warned residents "to pay close attention to any suspicious device whether it be a package, a bag, a backpack or anything that looks out of place.

The Austin PD, FBI and ATF are offering up to $100,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the bomber. Texas Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $15,000. Anyone with information has been encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-8477, text "DPS" and a tip to 274637 or submit a tip online.

From Doorstep Drops To Tripwires

Before the FedEx explosion, the bombs seemed to become more sophisticated, and more random.

On March 2nd, 39-year-old Anthony Stephan, who was black, was killed after opening a package left on his step in Austin.

On March 12th, 17-year-old Draylen William Mason, who was black, was killed, while his 41-year-old mother was seriously injured, after she opened a package left on her porch.

Later on March 12th, 75-year-old Esperanza Herrera, who was Hispanic, was critically injured after opening a package left near her house.

On March 18th, the bombings appeared to become more random and sophisticated after two white men in their twenties were seriously injured after seemingly triggering a tripwire attached to a metal sign that caused a bomb to explode near them.

A Pattern Isn't Clear

Before the tripwire bombing, all the victims targeted were people of color. The fourth bombing complicated the theory of racial bias, however, because it appeared to target random pedestrians. 

The Washington Post reports that Anthony Stephan House and Draylen Mason have relatives who are friends, raising the prospect that the earlier bombings could have been specifically targeted.

<p>Benjamin Goggin is the News Editor at Digg.&nbsp;</p>

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