Exploding packages in Austin

| March 12, 2018

KXAN reports that, for the second time this month, a person was killed by an exploding package in Austin, Texas.

Austin-Travis County EMS says a boy in his teens died at the scene and a woman was taken to a hospital after the explosion around 6:44 a.m. in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive, which is between 51st Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The woman has serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.

Police are on scene and investigating another suspicious package. They cleared media and others away from the area and are using CapMetro buses to evacuate those in the area. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the postal inspector, will also help investigate.

Anthony House was killed on his porch by a similar bomb ten days ago. At the time, Austin police said that they didn’t believe that “this is part of a bigger plan or a terrorist act”. I wonder what they think now.

UPDATE: There has been another bombing today, the third in ten days;

Multiple crews headed to the scene on the 6700 block of Galindo Street around 11:50 a.m., which is near Montopolis Drive and US Highway 183. Austin-Travis County EMS says a woman in her 70s went to the hospital with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries. Another woman in her 80s had an unrelated medical issue.

Category: Breaking News

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Fyrfighter

disgruntled Amish?

SFC D

Would the Amish be allowed to use a mechanical timer on a bomb? Inquiring minds want to know.

CCO

Wind up clocks would probably be kosher.

Ex-PH2

I’m thinking Orthodox. Serbian, Chechen, Kyrgyz, Kazak – isn’t there a list?

USMCMSgt (Ret)

Amish Unibomber?

What the hell would that look like?

Motive?

Graybeard

Austin is a blue stain in Texas.

I wonder why this happened there?

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

Arrest within days.

OWB

Use of a homemade bomb to target someone or something typically defines whoever is using it as a terrorist. Even in Austin.

If it makes folks feel better about it, I really don’t care what they call it instead of what it is. Just don’t expect the rest of us to try to live with your delusions, idiots.

Roh-Dog

Catch the d-bag and put him on the fast track for a date with the needle.
Better yet, may he feloniously resist arrest…save some cheddar.

A Proud Infidel®™

Electric chair, strap ’em and zap ’em!

USMCMSgt (Ret)

Texas has an Express lane to death row in Huntsville, so it may happen.

11B-Mailclerk

Unabom evaded capture for decades. If he had remained silent, versus sending a “manifesto”, they might never have caught him.

If this critter stays silent, then he is the much more dangerous “serial killer” versus “terrorist”. And he might thus be a bitch to catch.

Geetwillickers

Why is there no “common-sense” bomb control?

Roh-Dog

Motion switch registration saves lives!

Ex-PH2

Does this mean that Austin will lose its yuppie hipster population democratographic and they’ll all go back to the land of fruits and nuts, post haste?

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Was in Austin for the 2010 National Hurricane Conference and did not see one Cowboy hat but I noticed a lot of College kids.

rgr769

I wonder if their predominant population of progs is feeling “unsafe” yet when they go to the porch to pick up their recent purchase from Amazon.

Ex-PH2

Can we deport any of them?

Graybeard

Back to Californicate, most often, else to some other Progressive Paradise which they have fled because of some inordinate amount of bad luck.

Herbert J Messkit

Both victims are African American and the police are considering white supremacist scenarios. I hope they also consider false flag scenarios carried out by hard core leftists. I wouldn’t put it past that crowd.

Graybeard

Much more likely in the “Keep Austin Weird” mindset.

Did the victims vote for Trump?

Bill M

Any connection between the first and second victims? Are they ‘high profile’ or just random folks? So many questions and too early to draw conclusions.

11B-Mailclerk

Fox reporting blast #3.

This is one seriously sick fucktard.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Was this the third one that went off today that I just read about on Fox?

11B-Mailclerk

Second today. Third overall.

2/17 Air Cav

“There are similarities that we cannot rule out that these two items are, in fact, related,” [Police Chief] Manley said. Maybe #3 has convinced him.

Mason

One would hope. Scary to think that two exploding boxes WOULDN’T be related.

Ex-PH2

…and no demands have yet been made, right?

Strange.

Graybeard

There are a lot of oaks in Austin, and a couple of pretty tall bridges.

There is also a lot of rope around.

Catch the perp, tie his hands and feet, and let the Austinites decide in what manner the perp, rope, and oak or bridge ought to be assembled.

rgr769

Some of them (progs) would likely unwind the rope and have a “hate Trump” macramé party, then release the perp if he is an illegal, after a Wiccan ceremony for the tree.

Devtun

Stop this now! The poor package thieves could be blown to bits.

BigJohn

Just think of the children!!!

2/17 Air Cav

I go out on my porch and there’s a pkg. I pick it up and look it over. I do not see a recognized sender name or address. I do not see a USPS label, or UPS/FedEx. I do not open it. That’s just me. A smarter person would not even pick it up.

11B-Mailclerk

Based on the press briefing I just watched on Fox, these apparently detonate when moved, and are fairly potent.

Appears to be placed by persons unknown, not delivered by common carrier.

The police said if the package is unexpected, or suspicious in any way, don’t even touch it. Call 911.

Good advice.

2/17 Air Cav

In view of your first line, I need to change mine: I go out on my porch and there’s a pkg. I pick it up and splody.

11B-Mailclerk

For your information:

USPS suspicious package indicator poster:
comment image

USPS mail handling safety:
https://about.usps.com/publications/pub166/pub166_tech_015.htm

Once upon a time, I received in the Battalion mailbag a crudely done package that had almost all of the indicators, addressed to the CSM. The mailing bags are loaded at the post office, so my first clue was dumping it into my sort bin, picking it up, and looking at the poster on the wall….

Oh. This. Is. Not. Good.

I waked to my door and called out to the SDNCO “Sergeant, I have a suspicious package, no shit, get everyone out, now.

” stop fucking around (mailclerk). That ain’t funny.”

So I start to walk, thinking getting outside would be faster than arguing. I hadn’t blown myself to bits dumping it in the bin, so maybe I could get outside and set it down. As I step out of the mailroom, the CSM walks up and said “there it is!” happily and snatched it out of my hand. He ripped it open before I got to “wait…”

“Cookie? My Niece sends these great cookies.”…. and hands me one.”

Yup. Kid. Cookies. Actually pretty good, if somewhat smooshed together.

In hindsight, I should have just set the thing down, locked up and -then- started the “outside, now” discussion.

And been even more embarrassed, but that’s how the cookie crumbled.

Devtun

Reminds me of an incident way back of an air force first shirt at Lackland who was maimed by a package bomb left on her desk.

2/17 Air Cav

“Police also have not decided if these are hate crimes, but said that’s a possibility because of the victims’ races.” CNN

Man, the EEOC will be all over this! People are getting blown up at their own residences and CNN is concerned that this may be a hate crime. Morons.

Thunderstixx

I live in Austin and have been driving all over town with Uber for the South by Southwest media convention going on here all week.
There are a few hundred thousand people in town for the convention and it goes on all week and into the weekend.
I luckily haven’t driven by those areas, but I am staying on the watch to see if I see any suspicious characters.
They seem to be being left at night and people come out of their houses to find the package.
The one killed today was a 17 year old kid that probably went to the Gates wondering what in the hell happened. These happened in broad daylight.
This is no joke, friends, two dead, one in the hospital and no known motive or suspects…
With this happening this week, the city is on edge and we don’t need this shit happening, especially now…
This shit ain’t funny…

Fyrfighter

Stay safe Thunderstixx. Definitely a bad deal. Regardless of the motive / background, I hope they catch the bastard soon.

David

I remember my Dad going to his doctor’s office in London – secretary noticed a very thick heavy envelope addressed to the doc had the name misspelled. Smart lady, she called it in instead of opening it, had a pound of plastique hooked to the flap.IRA was on a tear at the time.