AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Moderators: Elvis, DrVolin, Jeff

AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Mon Mar 12, 2018 1:36 pm

I don't know how I missed news of the FIRST bombing that occurred earlier this month but ... this morning a second attack occurred.

The victims of the 2 attacks are reported as African American so it is being considered that this is possibly racially motivated.

SXSW just began last Friday. :starz:

Anthony Stephan House died in a package explosion in Austin on March 2. Austin Police Department
Image

Police say exploding packages that have killed two people in Austin are linked
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/state ... 60524.html

Teen Killed, Woman Hurt When Package Explodes At Texas Home
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2018/03/12/teen ... ion-texas/

A teenager has died and a woman is seriously injured after a package exploded at a home in Austin, marking the s...


FBI, ATF and local police investigating deadly Austin explosion
http://kxan.com/2018/03/02/one-hurt-in- ... th-austin/

As part of the investigation, detectives are reaching out to all the companies that deliver mail in the area to ...
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:12 pm

FUCK - another possibly related explosion...

via my nextdoor.com account:

Austin Police Department, Austin PoliceAgency
Explosive packages reported in the Austin area

Earlier this morning, APD responded to an explosion in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive.

We are now responding to another explosion in the 6700 block of Galindo St. Please avoid the area at this time. Here's a link to our first media briefing: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1jMJgqlPrMbKL

We ask that you DO NOT open packages that you are not expecting. If you see something suspicious, call 9-1-1 immediately so that we may assist you.

Follow us on Twitter @Austin_Police for the latest updates. Thank you. -APD PIO


...from news sources ...

Another explosion reported in Austin hours after blast that killed teen, injured woman
Filed under Texas at 40 min ago
Written by Naheed Rajwani Tom Steele Jackie Wang

Last updated at 1:30 p.m.: Revised to include second explosion Monday.

A second explosion was reported Monday in Austin, just hours after a package bomb killed a teenager and seriously injured one other person and 10 days after another fatal blast.

About 6:45 a.m., first responders were sent to the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive in east Austin to investigate an explosion inside a home.

A 17-year-old male was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman in her 40s was taken to a hospital with serious — but not life-threatening — injuries, officials said. Their identities have not been released.

Just before noon, another explosion was reported in the 6700 block of Galindo Street, about five miles south of the first blast.

Austin-Travis County EMS said a woman in her 70s had injuries that were potentially life-threatening. A second woman at the address was treated for an unrelated medical issue and was not hospitalized, officials said.

Further details were not immediately available. It was unclear whether the explosion originated from a package.

Police said one of the residents at the Oldfort Hill Drive home found the package on the doorstep Monday morning and took it inside. Both residents were in the kitchen when the package exploded.

The U.S. Postal Service and other delivery companies did not have a record that the package was delivered by them, police said.

It was second package explosion in Austin this month.

On March 2, 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House died after a blast in the 1100 block of Haverford Drive. House's death was initially classified as suspicious; police said Monday that it had been reclassified as a homicide.

Police said the two incidents were similar, and they were investigating whether they were related. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also are investigating.

"We are not going to tolerate this in Austin," police Chief Brian Manley said at a news conference.

Manley said a motive for the bombs was not known, but noted that all three victims in the package explosions have been black.

Police said it is "appropriate" for people to be aware and concerned if they receive a package they are not expecting.

Near Monday's second blast, neighbor Tina Guerrero, 35, was awakened by the sound of an explosion.

"It sounded like a big boom," she said. "We heard sirens and everything. "

Guerrero, who was at home with three of her four children who are on spring break, said she is concerned about the package explosions.

"You don't know when another package is going to be delivered," she said. "Our natural instinct is to open it. Now we have to worry about what we receive."

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2 ... des-austin
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Mon Mar 12, 2018 3:22 pm

3rd explosion at Austin home injures elderly woman, follows hours after blast that killed teen
http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Teen-k ... 49513.html

FLASHBACK to last week...

Infowars Is Organizing A ‘Life Or Death’ Protest At This Year’s SXSW Conference
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/info ... onference/
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:16 pm

I've heard someone say a 4th package is being investigated but no details yet.

Image
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby seemslikeadream » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:29 pm

thanks for the update elfis.......

HORROR
Police Hunt for Bomber After Three Explosions Rock Austin
The bombs all detonated at homes in the Texas capital this month, killing two people and injuring two others.


OLIVIA MESSER
03.12.18 1:01 PM ET
A bomber is on the loose and terrorizing Austin, Texas, police said Monday, as three “related” home explosions in ten days killed two people and wounded two others.

“We do not have a specific ideology or victimology that we have identified,” said Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, in an afternoon press conference.

In the first explosion on Monday, a 17-year-old boy was killed and his mother was seriously injured when an unexpected package arrived at their home, police said at a televised press conference. One of the victims in that case reportedly found the package outside, and opened it in their kitchen, where it detonated.

Just hours later, Austin police said they responded to another home explosion—also caused by a package—at about 11:50 a.m. The police chief, who was still on the scene of the first explosion, hopped in his car and headed to the second.

In that explosion, a 75-year-old hispanic woman was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, Austin-Travis County EMS told the Austin American-Statesman. She is in critical, but stable, condition, said Manley.

Ten days earlier, 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House was killed on March 2 when a package exploded at his home in northeast Austin, KEYE-TV reported.


“It’s so tragic,” one of House’s neighbors told the TV station. “Everybody in the neighborhood is on pins and needles. Even seeing delivery drivers and Amazon boxes on the porch right now. Especially while we don’t know very much.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/package-b ... via=mobile
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
User avatar
seemslikeadream
 
Posts: 32090
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 11:28 pm
Location: into the black
Blog: View Blog (83)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby Cordelia » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:14 pm

elfismiles » Mon Mar 12, 2018 8:16 pm wrote:I've heard someone say a 4th package is being investigated but no details yet.



Jesus :shock:

Stay safe!
The greatest sin is to be unconscious. ~ Carl Jung

We may not choose the parameters of our destiny. But we give it its content. ~ Dag Hammarskjold 'Waymarks'
User avatar
Cordelia
 
Posts: 3697
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:07 pm
Location: USA
Blog: View Blog (0)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby American Dream » Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:41 pm

Far-right media immediately float conspiracy theories about Austin bombings

Immediately after reports of multiple package bombings in Austin, Texas that killed an African-American teenager and wounded two other minorities (African American and Hispanic), right-wing media figures and fringe right-wing message boards began circulating unfounded conspiracies that the bombings were a “false flag,” the beginning of a race war, and that “Antifa” was responsible.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuGMDL6u1io


https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/ ... ngs/219610
American Dream
 
Posts: 19946
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:56 pm
Location: Planet Earth
Blog: View Blog (0)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby JackRiddler » Mon Mar 12, 2018 11:32 pm

American Dream » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:41 pm wrote:
Far-right media immediately float conspiracy theories about Austin bombings

Immediately after reports of multiple package bombings in Austin, Texas that killed an African-American teenager and wounded two other minorities (African American and Hispanic), right-wing media figures and fringe right-wing message boards began circulating unfounded conspiracies that the bombings were a “false flag,” the beginning of a race war, and that “Antifa” was responsible.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuGMDL6u1io


https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/ ... ngs/219610


Assholes. Hardly surprising though, since "Everyone's Brain Instantly and Involuntarily Floats Credible Thought That Some Alex Jones Fanboy Is Planting Bombs to Kill Black People in Austin" would be an accurate headline. Clearly, AJ's brain did that, so he moved fast.

.
We meet at the borders of our being, we dream something of each others reality. - Harvey of R.I.

To Justice my maker from on high did incline:
I am by virtue of its might divine,
The highest Wisdom and the first Love.

TopSecret WallSt. Iraq & more
User avatar
JackRiddler
 
Posts: 15983
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 2:59 pm
Location: New York City
Blog: View Blog (0)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:48 am

Well ... he doesn't actually say "False Flag" in that clip and only tries to implicate AntiFa.

Local liberal / progressive activists I know who had also ID'd the activism-connections between the bombings before APD/Media made them public appear to elucidate the nature of the targeting ... in fact same activist drawing these connections may have just discovered the 3rd connection to the last bombing and that it was a mistake on the part of the bomber - that they got the wrong house / may have been targeting a neighbor that would complete the linked-targeting. This happened in neighborhoods where my friends and fellow community activists live.

17-year-old victim Draylen Mason (circa 2013)
Image

Three ‘powerful’ package explosions in Austin that killed 2 are connected, police say - WaPo
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... ck-austin/

"The two victims killed in the explosions are relatives of prominent members of Austin’s African American community. The first, 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House, was the stepson of Freddie Dixon, a former pastor at a historic black church in Austin."

UPDATE: Stepfather of man who died in package explosion knew grandfather of another bombing victim, report says
https://www.statesman.com/news/breaking ... BS5HHbfeO/

LaVonne Mason on manners, education and activism: Co-founder of Austin Area Urban League is also the Etiquette Authority - AAS
https://www.mystatesman.com/lifestyles/ ... kl3gaemON/

A Brief Timeline Of Fascist Activity In Austin, Texas Since The 2016 Election
https://kitoconnell.com/2017/06/26/aust ... -timeline/

Map details where Texas hate groups are in 2017
55 hate groups said to be in Texas
By Mary Claire Patton - Digital Content Curator, Ken Haddad, WDIV, CNN
Posted: 11:36 AM, August 15, 2017
Updated: 11:36 AM, August 15, 2017
https://www.ksat.com/news/map-details-w ... re-in-2017

Image

... these are the guys most people suspect ...

'Alt right' leader Richard Spencer says his rallies aren't 'fun' anymore
'Alt-right' leader says rallies no longer 'fun'

Author: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY
Published: 11:44 AM EDT March 12, 2018
Updated: 6:40 PM EDT March 12, 2018
http://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation ... 046f6dbf61

White nationalist rally at Texas A&M to feature Richard Spencer; counterprotest planned
A College Station white nationalist is planning a rally on the campus of Texas A&M University that will feature the infamous self-described "alt-right" leader Richard Spencer. Students are already planning a counterprotest.
by Matthew Watkins Aug. 13, 2017
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/13 ... m-sept-11/

JackRiddler » 13 Mar 2018 03:32 wrote:
American Dream » Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:41 pm wrote:


Assholes. Hardly surprising though, since "Everyone's Brain Instantly and Involuntarily Floats Credible Thought That Some Alex Jones Fanboy Is Planting Bombs to Kill Black People in Austin" would be an accurate headline. Clearly, AJ's brain did that, so he moved fast.

.
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:31 pm

Image
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby PufPuf93 » Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:48 pm

That is sad about Draylen.

Hope this AusTex bombing comes to a quick and conclusive end.
User avatar
PufPuf93
 
Posts: 1884
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 12:29 am
Blog: View Blog (0)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby Jerky » Tue Mar 13, 2018 5:16 pm

Another one to add to the long list of damnation.

Austin, Texas, goddamn.

J.

User avatar
Jerky
 
Posts: 2240
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 6:28 pm
Location: Toronto, ON
Blog: View Blog (0)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Fri Mar 16, 2018 11:36 am

Police question Austin woman they think may have been bombing target
Sean Collins Walsh American-Statesman Staff
10:44 p.m Wednesday, March 14, 2018 Local News
https://www.statesman.com/news/local/po ... rknPjbyTL/

East Austin resident Erica Mason, whose neighbor was injured in one of three recent package explosions that have gripped the city, talked to investigators Wednesday about whether she was related to the Mason family that was targeted in at least one of the bombings.

Mason, who is from Iowa, isn’t related to the Mason family that is prominent in Austin’s African-American community. But police have developed a theory that the bomber may have mistaken her for another member of the family.

AUSTIN BOMBINGS: Click here for complete coverage

If the theory proves true, the bomber then made two mistakes: targeting the wrong Mason and accidentally placing the package two doors down — at the house of Maria Moreno, whose 75-year-old daughter Esperanza Herrera was critically injured after picking it up.

“They basically just wanted to know if I was a relative or married to one of them, if I was in any way associated with the family,” Erica Mason told the American-Statesman. “If I was associated with the family, it could have been that they were trying to come after me.”

Mason said she feels “survivor’s guilt” for possibly being the target of a bomb that hurt Herrera, who she had seen in the past taking care of her mother but had not met.

READ MORE: Police respond to hundreds of suspicious package reports.

“It is spooky, and I don’t if it’s more terrifying that it could have happened to me or my boyfriend,” Erica Mason said, “and that it happened to this poor, sweet, innocent woman.”

The other two bombings both occurred at the homes of people connected to the Mason family of Austin.

Anthony House, the first person killed when a bomb exploded on his porch, is the son of the Rev. Freddie Dixon. Dixon is a close friend of Dr. Norman Mason, grandfather of 17-year-old Draylen Mason, who was killed Monday morning in a package bomb attack that also injured his mother.

Staff writer Tony Plohetski contributed reporting.



Austin Package Bombs Appear to Be Targeting Prominent Black Families
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/20 ... ilies.html

Three package bombs have gone off in Austin, Texas, in the past two weeks, and they appear to have targeted members of prominent black families, the president of the local NAACP told NBC News Wednesday.

The families of Stephen House, who was killed on March 2, and Draylen Mason, who was killed on Monday, have known each other for a long time “and go to the same church,” according to Nelson Linder. The Austin NAACP president said that a third bomb, which injured 75-year-old Esperanza Herrera, may have been intended for “another person who might be connected to the House and Mason families.”

Though the Austin police agree that the bombings are related, they haven’t suggested a motive. They also haven’t said whether they think the victims were personally targeted. But interim Austin police chief Brian Manley did tell reporters this week that they’re not ruling out the possibly “that hate crime is at the core of this.”

Mason, 17, was a musician who was set to enroll at the University of Texas Butler School of Music. His grandmother LaVonne Mason is a co-founder of the Austin Area Urban League. House, 39, was a father and founder of his own money-management firm. His stepfather, Freddie Dixon, who is close with Mason’s grandparents, was the longtime pastor at Wesley United Methodist Church, a historic black church that was founded by newly freed slaves.

Dixon told the Washington Post that he doesn’t think the victims’ history is a coincidence. “Somebody’s done their homework on both of us, and they knew what they were doing,” he said. “My diagnosis: Number one, I think it’s a hate crime. Number two, somebody’s got some kind of vendetta here.”

Investigators have begun looking into the connection between the Mason and House families, attempting to see if the victims’ relationships to “prominent members of Austin’s African-American community” is related to the bombings, the Austin American-Statesman reported on Wednesday.

As for the third bomb, police have a theory that it was meant for a woman who is not related to the Mason family, but shares their last name.

The bombs themselves provide some clue as to who may have delivered them. According to ABC News, the explosives “displayed a level of sophistication, indicating that the bomb-maker or bomb-makers were highly skilled.”

The devices were set up to be detonated by motion like shaking or jostling, which is why they exploded when they were picked up. The devices also had some sort of safety switch, which enabled the bomber to move the devices without blowing themselves up, the sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.

As police continue their probe into the bombings, a sense of unease has come over the city as Austinites prepare for another potential bombing. And they remain vigilant. Since Monday, there have been nearly 500 reports of suspicious packages in the city. None of them have contained explosives.
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:28 am

Police: 2 Men Injured After Explosion In Southwest Austin
March 18, 2018 at 9:12 pm
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2018/03/18/emer ... xplosions/

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – Two men have been injured in an explosion in southwest Austin, police confirmed.

The Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted crews were responding to reports of an explosion in the 4700 block of Eagle Feather Drive. They were also responding to reports of a second explosion in the 4800 block of Dawn Song Drive.

@ATCEMS
Multiple assets on a reported second explosion 4800 block Dawn Song Dr (2032) reports of 2 patients. Investigation if this is the same incident as already reported or a separate incident underway. More information to be provided when available.

8:57 PM - Mar 18, 2018
189
584 people are talking about this


Austin police said they are responding to a “bomb hotshot” call on Dawn Song Drive. Two men have been transported in this incident. EMS said the two men in their 20s have serious injuries that aren’t expected to be life-threatening.

In a brief update, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said it’s still an active scene on Dawn Song Drive, and that it was “obvious” that an explosion took place. He also said police are investigating a backpack in the area and are waiting to clear it.

Austin Police Dept
@Austin_Police
APD responding to Bomb Hotshot call in the 4800 block of Dawn Song Dr. Two male patients transported with unknown injuries. Please avoid the area. Media staging area is 4635 SW Pkwy, corner of SW Pkwy and Boston Ln. APD PIO

9:16 PM - Mar 18, 2018
838
1,700 people are talking about this


Austin police said earlier that the reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for three earlier explosions that have killed two people and injured two others has risen by $50,000 to now total $115,000.

Interim Police Chief Bryan Manley announced the reward boost Sunday as authorities pleaded for help.

Officials believe the package bombings this month are related but Manley says investigators don’t have a motive or “what the ideology is behind this.”

He says more than 500 officers, including federal agents, have conducted 236 interviews in following up 435 leads.

There is no word yet if Sunday night’s explosions are related to those earlier explosions.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)



ETA

Deadly Austin bombings were ‘meant to send a message,’ police chief says
by TIM STELLOH

A deadly string of unsolved bombings in Texas this month was "meant to send a message," though Austin Police Chief Brian Manley didn't say what that message was during a Sunday news conference.

Manley said that he hoped the bomber was watching and would "reach out to us before anyone else is injured or killed."

Austin package bomb case: Police increase reward to $100,000

The plea came as local and federal authorities increased the reward for information leading to a conviction in the bombings, which killed two and injured two others earlier this month, to $100,000, Manley said. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was also offering $15,000.

Late Sunday, Austin police were investigating an explosion in a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the city. Authorities said that two men in their 20s sustained non-life-threatening injuries and that they were still examining a suspicious backpack in the area.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/de ... ys-n857786


MSNBC: Honoring Austin package bomb victim Draylen Mason, a Monumental American
https://www.nbcnews.com/widget/video-em ... 6805827582

Police question Austin woman they think may have been bombing target
Sean Collins Walsh American-Statesman Staff
10:44 p.m Wednesday, March 14, 2018
https://www.statesman.com/news/local/po ... rknPjbyTL/

Austin NAACP President gives insight into bombings that killed two Black men and injured others
Tiffany McGee/Mar 18, 2018
https://thegrio.com/2018/03/17/368308-a ... black-men/

As residents in Austin, Texas, remain extra vigilant given a recent string of package bombs that have killed two people and seriously injured two others, the President of the Austin Chapter of the NAACP, Nelson Linder spoke exclusively to theGrio and believes personal animosity may be responsible.

Two of the bombing victims’ families are African-American members of the same church and have known each other for many years, said Linder. Investigators are trying to determine whether or not the motive constitutes a hate crime since all of the victims are people of color.

Dr. Freddie Dixon, the stepfather of the first victim, Anthony House, 39; and Dr. Norman Mason, the grandfather of the second victim, Draylen Mason, 19 are very good friends and prominent leaders in Austin’s Black community. Dixon was a minister at the Wesley United Methodist Church for more than 20 years, while Mason owns a dental practice in Austin.

Linder also pointed to a third bombing incident, which injured a 75 year old Hispanic woman, Esperanza Herrera. Linder believes that bomb was intended for an Erica Mason, who lives on the same street as Herrera. While she shares the same last name as one of the other victims, she is not related to the Mason family.

“We think these deaths and bombs have been targeted,” Linder said. “The odds of Anthony being killed, his stepfather being Dr. Dixon, and knowing Draylen’s grandfather? That’s way too many coincidences. How the bombs have been made, how targeted they are, and how they’ve been delivered to peoples’ homes….this feels personal.”

Heighten sensibilities
As the Black community’s leader in Austin, Linder not only knows both of the victims’ families, he also had a personal connection to House, whom he hired in 2008 to build and maintain his NAACP Chapter’s website. House, a project manager at Texas Quarries, was introduced to Linder by an Austin NAACP officer whose daughter had been dating House and is the mother of his 8-year old daughter.

“Anthony was a very smart guy, very talented and focused, and he loved his daughter,” Linder said. “He was a valuable asset in the community. We’ve lost somebody who had a lot of skills to get things done.”

While Linder didn’t personally know the second victim, Draylen Mason, he knew of him and called him an “excellent student” who played several instruments, including the violin and upright bass.

The NAACP leader points to what he calls “a missed opportunity” following the explosion of the first package bomb that killed House on March 2, which was treated as an isolated incident. Then the second package bomb (killing Mason) exploded on March 12.

“What happened on Monday changed the whole focus of the investigation. We mobilized to every neighborhood to get the message out. Had we known after the first bomb that this was intentional, we could’ve done a better job of telling people to not touch or pick up anything earlier.”

The mystery continues

Linder admits he has many unanswered questions and also wonders if retaliation may be a motive. Just two weeks before the first bomb exploded, Linder recalls a drug raid near House’s neighborhood. Linder believes House’s home and car and the home and car involved in the raid looked very similar. One theory Austin police are investigating whether the attacker may have delivered the bomb to the wrong home.

https://thegrio.com/2018/03/17/368308-a ... black-men/



Package Bombings Reveal The Racist Underbelly Of Austin
By Daina Ramey Berry and Christen Smith, Guest Writers
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/op ... 3361aef900

Austin Package Bombs Appear to Be Targeting Prominent Black Families
By Adam K. Raymond

Though the Austin police agree that the bombings are related, they haven’t suggested a motive. They also haven’t said whether they think the victims were personally targeted. But interim Austin police chief Brian Manley did tell reporters this week that they’re not ruling out the possibly “that hate crime is at the core of this.”

Mason, 17, was a musician who was set to enroll at the University of Texas Butler School of Music. His grandmother LaVonne Mason is a co-founder of the Austin Area Urban League. House, 39, was a father and founder of his own money-management firm. His stepfather, Freddie Dixon, who is close with Mason’s grandparents, was the longtime pastor at Wesley United Methodist Church, a historic black church that was founded by newly freed slaves.

Dixon told the Washington Post that he doesn’t think the victims’ history is a coincidence. “Somebody’s done their homework on both of us, and they knew what they were doing,” he said. “My diagnosis: Number one, I think it’s a hate crime. Number two, somebody’s got some kind of vendetta here.”

Investigators have begun looking into the connection between the Mason and House families, attempting to see if the victims’ relationships to “prominent members of Austin’s African-American community” is related to the bombings, the Austin American-Statesman reported on Wednesday.

As for the third bomb, police have a theory that it was meant for a woman who is not related to the Mason family, but shares their last name.

The bombs themselves provide some clue as to who may have delivered them. According to ABC News, the explosives “displayed a level of sophistication, indicating that the bomb-maker or bomb-makers were highly skilled.”

The devices were set up to be detonated by motion like shaking or jostling, which is why they exploded when they were picked up. The devices also had some sort of safety switch, which enabled the bomber to move the devices without blowing themselves up, the sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.

As police continue their probe into the bombings, a sense of unease has come over the city as Austinites prepare for another potential bombing. And they remain vigilant. Since Monday, there have been nearly 500 reports of suspicious packages in the city. None of them have contained explosives.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/20 ... ilies.html


ETA ETA

Live From The Scene Of Another Explosion In Austin
The Alex Jones Channel
Published on Mar 18, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=borcEW4cAgM

UPDATE: Two injured in Southwest Austin explosion in good condition
Brandon Mulder Mark D. Wilson John Bridges Tom Labinski Austin Community Newspapers Staff
11:22 p.m Sunday, March 18, 2018 News
https://www.statesman.com/news/update-p ... bvdlO7cfK/

12:00 a.m. update: Mayor Steve Adler said late Sunday that he will ensure law enforcement officials have appropriate resources for the case.

“This city will do everything to ensure law enforcement has everything they need,” he said.

He added his pleas that anyone with information call 911 and that residents also call emergency responders if they see something suspicious.

11:15 p.m. update: The two males injured in an explosion in Southwest Austin on Sunday evening are in good condition, officials from St. David’s South Austin Medical Center reported.

In addition, nearby Regents High School is on a two hour delay Monday morning for a security sweep.

11 p.m. update: Interim Police Chief Brian Manley said police are checking a suspicious backpack near the scene of an explosion Sunday night in Southwest Austin and are advising neighborhood residents that the area will be closed off.

Anyone within a half-mile radius of Dawn Song Drive is advised to stay inside or avoid the area until daylight, Manley said.

As neighbors stood along the street unable to get to their homes, police said they were expanding the crime scene, and asked them to leave the neighborhood altogether. He urged the community to give investigators time to process the scene.

“We’re not going to take questions because we simply just don’t know anything at this time,” Manley told reporters as he stood alongside Austin Mayor Steve Adler and federal agents. He said police will give their next briefing in the morning.

Some had heard from friends who lived in the area that the explosion was the result of a trip wire, but police would not confirm any details in the blast on Sunday night.

10:20 p.m. update: Two men in their 20s have been hospitalized with serious injuries following an explosion in the 4800 block of Dawn Song Drive in Southwest Austin. Officials said their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Officials said there was only one explosion. An earlier report said there also had been a blast on Eagle Feather Drive.

Several residents said they heard a single explosion — “it sounded like a car back fire,” said one — and that it could be heard from many blocks away.

Residents in the immediate area of Dawn Song Drive are being asked so stay in their homes and to follow instructions given by police. Republic of Texas Boulevard remains blocked between Mission Oaks Boulevard and Travis Country Circle.

Along with Austin police, FBI investigators also are at the scene.

The incident came on the same day that interim Police Chief Brian Manley called on whoever is responsible for a recent string of deadly package bombings at East Austin homes to come forward and share their “message.” Those attacks killed two people and seriously injured an elderly woman.

Manley said earlier Sunday that more than 500 federal agents are assisting the Police Department in the investigation, including officials from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities have followed up on 435 leads that led to 236 interviews,

It is not known if those explosions are related to the ones Sunday night.

Angie Wagner, a Travis Country homeowners association board member who lives in the area of Sunday night’s explosion, said the neighborhood is a quiet, family-oriented close-knit community. “This will cause everyone to keep a closer eye on things,” she said. “We just started a community watch program, and they’re about to start their training.”

Russell Reno has lived in the area for about six months. He said a big reason why he chose to move into the neighborhood from Buda was because it was a relaxed and family-oriented community.

He said he’s heard about explosions in other parts of the city, but why one would happen here is perplexing.

“There are some sick people in the world,” he said.

9:03 p.m. update: Emergency officials say there may be two explosions near each other in Southwest Austin.

According to Austin-Travis County EMS, a second explosion was reported in the 4800 block of Dawn Song Drive, a short distance from a reported explosion on Eagle Feather Drive.

Investigators are trying to determine if this is a separate incident or the same one already reported.

Austin police said two men in their 20s are being taken to a hospital from the Dawn Song location.

RELATED

Photos: Explosion in Southwest Austin on March 18, 2018
COMPLETE COVERAGE: Explosions in Austin
Earlier: Rescue crews are reporting an explosion in Southwest Austin, EMS say.

Initial unconfirmed reports say that six patients are “on the ground,” according to the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service. The location is the 4700 block of Eagle Feather Drive near the Y in Oak Hill.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
https://www.statesman.com/news/update-p ... bvdlO7cfK/
User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Re: AusTex Unabomber 2018?

Postby elfismiles » Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:40 am

Mayor Adler hearing news of fourth explosion: 'This is horrific'
Mayor Steve Adler spoke with KVUE over the phone Sunday regarding the fourth explosion in March, calling it "horrific."
Author: Paul Livengood
Published: 11:22 PM CDT March 18, 2018
Updated: 11:36 PM CDT March 18, 2018
http://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/ ... -529727048


Regents School near southwest Austin explosion site on delayed start Monday
Local Source KXAN.com 1h ago

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A private school near the explosion site in southwest Austin will start school late on Monday.

Regents School of Austin, located on Travis Country Circle, says school will be delayed two hours on Monday so school officials can conduct a security sweep.

The school is less than 1.5 miles away from the explosion on Dawn Song Drive.

Kindergarten classes are also canceled but grades 1st through 6th will start at 10 a.m. Seventh through 12th will begin at 10:15 a.m.

"Although this tragic event hits close to our community let us be resolved in what, and who, we look to in times as this," wrote the school on its website.

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/r ... 1056955994



Austin Struck by Fourth Explosion Only Hours After Televised Appeal to Bomber
By DAVE MONTGOMERY, MANNY FERNANDEZ and MATTHEW HAAG
MARCH 18, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/us/a ... otive.html

AUSTIN, Tex. — An explosion on Sunday night injured two people in a neighborhood in southwest Austin, just hours after law enforcement officials made an unusual direct appeal to whoever was responsible for several deadly package explosions this month that have kept the capital of Texas on edge.

The authorities said they responded to Dawn Song Drive after reports of an explosion around 8:30 p.m. A short time later, two men in their 20s were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service said.

The Austin police chief, Brian Manley, said at an evening news conference that the police were asking residents within a half-mile radius of the explosion to stay indoors until officers could conduct a search for bombs.

Eliza May said she was watching a TV show in her home when she heard what sounded like a transformer blowing up in her backyard. “It sounded like when the transformers go out, but it was five times magnified that,” said Ms. May, who lives about 200 feet from where the explosion was said to have occurred.

Another neighbor, Lori Goodgame, said the explosion caused her house to shake. Her first thought was that lightning had hit her home. “There was a huge boom,” Ms. Goodgame said.

Texas
The New York Times
Moments later, dozens of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks swarmed her street, Ms. May said. Police officers ordered neighbors — who had come outside to see what happened — to return to their homes, she said.

Continue reading the main story
RELATED COVERAGE

Explosions Rattle Austin as Calls About Suspicious Packages Mount MARCH 13, 2018

3 Austin Package Explosions, 2 of Them Deadly, Appear to Be Linked MARCH 12, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT

Continue reading the main story

Investigators from the F.B.I. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to the neighborhood known as Travis Country, which is about five miles southwest of downtown Austin and in a different area from the three previous explosions. Bomb technicians with the A.T.F. were conducting a secondary sweep, officials said.

Because the device exploded after nightfall, the chief said, the police could not fully inspect the scene and would have to wait until sunrise on Monday to better examine it. It was not immediately clear if Sunday’s explosion was directly connected to the three previous bombings.

“We have not had an opportunity to really look at this blast site to determine what has happened,” Chief Manley said at the evening news conference. “It’s obvious that there’s been an explosion, and it’s obvious it’s caused significant injuries to two people.”

At a news conference before Sunday’s explosion, the Austin police made a rare public appeal for the bomber or bombers responsible for the first three explosions to contact the police so officials could learn more about the “message” behind the attacks.

“These events in Austin have garnered worldwide attention, and we assure you that we are listening,” Chief Manley said in addressing the unknown bomber or bombers at the earlier news conference. “We want to understand what brought you to this point, and we want to listen to you.”

Photo

A bomb-detecting unit near the site of Sunday’s explosion. Hours before, law enforcement officials made a direct appeal to whoever was responsible for the deadly package explosions in Austin. Credit Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman, via Associated Press
Chief Manley told reporters that he hoped the person or people responsible were watching, and that they would get in touch by calling 911 or reaching out online. He said investigators had not established a motive for the explosive packages.

“There’s the message behind what’s happening in our community, and we’re not going to understand that until the suspect or suspects reaches out to us to talk to us about what that message was,” Chief Manley said. “We still do not know what ideology may be behind this and what the motive was behind this.”

Before Sunday, three separate bombings this month in the eastern and northeastern parts of the city left two people dead and a third seriously wounded. In each case, the victims handled packages that were left on their doorsteps and were outfitted with homemade but sophisticated explosive devices.

Officials said the first bombing, on Haverford Drive on March 2, and two more on March 12, on Oldfort Hill Drive and Galindo Street, were connected. None of the packages were mailed. Instead, they were apparently placed directly near the doors of homes for the victims to find. In two cases, the bombs detonated when the victims picked them up; in the third, the package exploded after it had been carried inside and opened.

More than 500 federal agents are assisting the investigation from agencies including the F.B.I. and the A.T.F. Fred Milanowski, the A.T.F. special agent in charge of its Houston division, said he believed that the same person built all three devices.

“Every bomber that makes these leaves a signature,” Mr. Milanowski said. “Obviously, once they find something successful for them, they don’t want to deviate from that because they don’t want something to blow up on them.”

Photo

The police and federal agents investigated an explosion in Austin, on March 12. Officials said they believed the two attacks on March 12 and an earlier bombing, on March 2, were related. Credit Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman, via Associated Press
Mr. Milanowski said a degree of skill was required to assemble, transport and deliver the devices without an accidental explosion. He declined to identify the materials that were used to make them.

“It wouldn’t be a typical household that would have all these components, but I would say that all the components are commercially available,” he said.

Since March 12, the day when two bombings occurred, anxious residents have reported hundreds of suspicious packages to the authorities; Austin police officers have responded to 735 such calls. Officials have continued to urge residents to call 911 if they receive a package that they were not expecting and that did not appear to have been delivered by the Postal Service or a legitimate commercial service like U.P.S. or FedEx.

Newsletter Sign UpContinue reading the main story
California Today
The news and stories that matter to Californians (and anyone else interested in the state), delivered weekday mornings.


Enter your email address
Sign Up

You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services.

SEE SAMPLE PRIVACY POLICY OPT OUT OR CONTACT US ANYTIME
Law enforcement officials said they were looking for possible links to similar residential package bombings across the country.

“The scope goes beyond just Austin,” said a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. “We’re looking for anyone that could have been involved in making bombs in the past in Texas, and really anywhere in the United States.”

Asked at the news conference whether investigators were looking for links to bombings elsewhere, Chief Manley said they were pursuing all avenues. “We are not going to rule anything out until we have a reason to rule it out,” he said, “because when we do that, it narrows our focus and we may limit considering things that we should be considering.”

Photo

An F.B.I. vehicle parked near the scene of an explosion last week. More than 500 agents from several federal agencies are assisting the Austin police in the investigation. Credit Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times
Over the past 30 years or so, package bombings have killed or wounded more than two dozen people across the country, excluding those connected to the Unabomber case. Many of the attacks have been solved by the authorities; they often stemmed from domestic disputes, and sometimes involved pipe bombs in packages wrapped like holiday presents.

The bombings in Austin have alarmed black leaders because the two people killed were African-American and the seriously wounded victim was a 75-year-old Hispanic woman. Law enforcement officials said that they did not have conclusive evidence that race played a role in the bombings, but that they were continuing to explore the possibility.

Nelson E. Linder, the president of the Austin branch of the N.A.A.C.P., said on Sunday evening that he did not know the race of the two men injured in the latest explosion. “It’s important for the whole city to understand this is a danger, and I think tonight kind of confirms that,” Mr. Linder said. “I think that’s what this means tonight, that this whole city is at risk.”

Investigators are examining connections between the two black victims, who both belonged to prominent African-American families. Officials said investigators were also looking into the possibility that the bomb that wounded the Hispanic woman may have been intended for someone else, but that nothing definitive had been established.

Chief Manley said on Sunday that the combined rewards offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case had been increased to $115,000, from $65,000.

A concert featuring the Roots that was part of the South by Southwest festival in Austin was canceled on Saturday after the concert venue received a bomb threat in an email, the authorities said. No device was found, and the police later arrested a man on a charge of making a terroristic threat. The police said the man, Trevor Weldon Ingram, 26, was not a suspect in the package bombings.

Dave Montgomery reported from Austin, Tex.; Manny Fernandez from Houston; and Matthew Haag from New York.

A version of this article appears in print on March 19, 2018, on Page A14 of the New York edition with the headline: Hours After Plea to Bomber, Austin Police Respond to Another Explosion. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/us/a ... otive.html

User avatar
elfismiles
 
Posts: 8511
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:46 pm
Blog: View Blog (4)

Next

Return to General Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 42 guests