A suspect has been identified in the wave of bombings that has had the city of Austin, Texas on edge during the month of March. The suspect was identified as Mark Anthony Conditt, 24, of Pflugerville, a suburb just north of Austin. Conditt reportedly ended his own life on Wednesday morning, as law enforcement was closing in on him, by detonating one of his own explosive devices in his car.
Authorities had tracked Conditt to a hotel in Round Rock, another Austin suburb, and were following him as he drove along Interstate 35 in central Texas. Conditt pulled his vehicle to the side of the highway. Austin Police Department SWAT officers were approaching the vehicle when the explosion occurred. One officer was knocked back by the explosion and suffered minor injuries. Another SWAT officer fired his weapon after the explosion, though it is unknown if he hit the suspect.
Law enforcement had zeroed-in on Conditt over the course of the previous 36 hours through cell phone triangulation and by surveillance footage captured at an Austin FedEx facility. Investigators believe he is responsible for the five explosions that killed two people and injured several more in the Austin area since March 2, 2018. Authorities cautioned that although the suspect is deceased, there could still be more bombs. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has sent 350 special agents, including bomb disposal experts, to the Austin area to assist with the investigation and to find any undetonated bombs.
The first bombing occurred on March 2nd. It was in a package left on a front porch and killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House when he picked up the package. The second bombing occurred ten days later, on March 12th, when 17-year-old Draylen Mason opened a package in his house. It was presumably left on his front porch, similar to the one that killed House. Mason was also killed by the explosion.
The third bombing occurred just a few hours after the one that killed Mason, on March 12th. A 75-year-old Hispanic woman was seriously injured in the blast. The fourth blast occurred on March 18th and, unlike the previous three package bombs, was detonated by a tripwire. Two men were severely injured when they snagged the tripwire and set off the explosion. Another bomb was detonated at a FedEx distribution center in Schertz, near San Antonio, and a sixth was found unexploded at another distribution facility near Austin’s Bergstrom International Airport.
Officials remain uncertain of what Conditt’s motive was for the bombings. Hate has been considered as one possible motive, since many of the victims were minorities. Investigators identified a blog, which appears to be a school project, as belonging to Conditt. On the blog, Conditt talks about political beliefs, including opposition to gay marriage and why the United States should do away with sex offender registration. It has not yet been confirmed if the author is the bombing suspect.
Based on the level of bombmaking skill exhibited by Conditt, investigators do not believe he had any military experience.
President Donald Trump tweeted, “AUSTIN BOMBING SUSPECT IS DEAD. Great job by law enforcement and all concerned!”
Austin Mayor Steve Adler has advised residents to continue to be on the lookout for more unexploded bombs and to use caution around suspicious packages.
