AUSTIN — The explosion in an Austin neighborhood Sunday night had “similarities” with the three bombs that detonated in the Texas capital earlier this month, leading authorities to believe that they are dealing with a “serial bomber” terrorizing the city, police said Monday.
The latest blast, which injured two men while they were walking along the road in a residential area, plunged the city further into a frightening mystery that forced residents in the vicinity of the bombing to remain locked in their homes as investigators scoured the area for answers.
The explosion on Sunday night was apparently set off by a tripwire on the road, causing investigators to determine the bomber or bombers have “a higher level of sophistication, a higher level of skill” than initially believed, said Brian Manley, the interim Austin police chief. He also said this explosion marked an apparent shift in tactics after the three previous devices were left at people’s homes.
“What we have seen now is a significant change from what appeared to be three very targeted attacks to what was, last night, an attack that would have hit a random victim that happened to walk by,” Manley said. “So we’ve definitely seen a change in the method that this suspect … is using.”
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The explosive device Sunday adds to the uncertainty in Austin, which has been on edge since previous bombings killed two people and injured two others, one seriously. Authorities have seemed at a loss to explain who could be setting off these devices or why, saying only that the bombs were sophisticated and that the attacks could have been motivated by racial bias, although they acknowledged that this is only a theory.
This latest explosion injured two white men — one 22, the other 23 — walking through part of Austin’s southwest area, far from where the first three devices detonated. The explosive device was on the side of the road, while the previous packages were all left at people’s homes, authorities said.
“With this tripwire, this changes things,” said Christopher Combs, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office. “It’s more sophisticated. It’s not targeted to individuals. We’re very concerned that with tripwires, a child could be walking down the sidewalk and hit something.”
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Authorities have previously described the explosives as the sophisticated work of a person or people who know what they are doing, saying that the bombers have been able to assemble and deliver these packages without setting them off. After telling residents to remain wary of unexpected or suspicious packages, authorities were now urging broader caution.
“We’re even more concerned now that if people see something suspicious, they just stay away from it altogether and contact law enforcement,” said Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the Houston division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Because if they move that package or if they step on that tripwire, it’s likely to detonate.”
Milanowski said devices using tripwires are activated when any pressure is applied to the wires, and he said that can include people “tripping over it or picking up the package.”
The two men wounded Sunday night were taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and Manley said they were in stable condition Monday. Residents described the neighborhood as a wealthy area filled with families.
“It’s shocking,” said Austin City Councilwoman Ellen Troxclair, who represents the district. “The trip wire definitely instilled some fear into this neighborhood. They just want to know what’s going on.”
Many in the Southwest Austin neighborhood previously felt that they were immune from the terror that had shaken other parts of town.
“It appears that no one is safe, and I’m very fearful for our community,” said Richard Herrington, 75, who was watching the NCAA men’s basketball tournament when he heard the explosion Sunday night. “It’s very concerning that this person is becoming more sophisticated.”
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The first two bombs killed black people — a 39-year-old construction worker and a 17-year-old high school student — related to prominent members of Austin’s African American community who were also close friends. The third bomb seriously injured a 75-year-old Hispanic woman, but it was addressed to a different home and apparently exploded when she was carrying it, said two people familiar with the case.
The first three explosions detonated in the eastern part of Austin, affecting areas where black and Hispanic residents live. Some in the area questioned whether the initial blast would have prompted more urgency had it gone off in a more affluent, predominantly white neighborhood.
Police said they are still considering whether some of the bombings were hate crimes.
“We’ve said from the beginning that we’re not willing to rule anything out, just because when you rule something out you limit your focus,” Manley said in an interview Monday with ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “This does change the concerns that we had initially, although we have still not yet ruled it out until we understand what the ideology or motive is behind the suspect or suspects.”
Manley said that police do not have evidence leading them to a particular suspect, and he reiterated his plea to the public for tips and information.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler said that although the bombings initially prompted concerns focused on packages left on doorsteps, Sunday night’s explosion caused officials to cast a wider net.
“We understand the anxiousness that we all feel, but there is just an army of law enforcement personnel working on this at this point,” he said Monday in a telephone interview with The Washington Post.
Adler said that “with each additional event, the horrible part is that people are getting hurt.” But, he added, “it also means that law enforcement folks get additional forensic evidence.”
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The fourth explosion went off just hours after the Austin police made a public appeal in the case, increasing the reward for information to $100,000 and addressing the bomber or bombers in particular. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has also offered another $15,000 for information.
“These events in Austin have garnered worldwide attention,” Manley said during the earlier announcement. “And we assure you that we are listening. We want to understand what brought you to this point, and we want to listen to you.”
After Sunday’s explosion, Manley urged residents in the surrounding neighborhood to remain in their homes while investigators continue to search the area. He said that people who needed to leave their homes should call 911 for an escort. The FBI and ATF were also on the scene, and Manley said that more than 500 officers have followed up on 435 leads and have conducted 236 interviews.
Steve Brown, 53, had gone out to dinner Sunday and was returning home when he saw the police tape.
“It’s kind of surreal,” he told The Post. “It had been on the other side of town — now it’s on our street.”
He said his 80-year-old mother-in-law was at home and told them she heard a “boom.”
Early Monday, the Austin Independent School District announced on Facebook that it was keeping school buses out of the neighborhood and would be excusing any related tardiness or absences. Regents School of Austin, a private Christian school near the neighborhood where the explosive went off, said classes would begin later Monday before ultimately canceling school.
After the first explosion on March 2 killed Anthony Stephan House, police initially described it as an isolated incident. However, when two more bombs exploded 10 days later, police said they thought all three were related.
The first blast on March 12 killed Draylen Mason, a high school senior well known for his love of music, playing everything from funk to mariachi to classical music. The second bomb that day critically wounded Esperanza Herrera, who was visiting her mother’s house, where the package was delivered.
At least two of the victims of the bombings have had a connection, although any significance was not immediately clear. House’s stepfather, Freddie Dixon, told The Post last week that he is close to Mason’s grandfather, Norman Mason. They were fraternity brothers, and Norman Mason also attended the church where Dixon was once a pastor, Dixon said.
Dixon said he did not think the connection was a coincidence.
“Somebody’s done their homework on both of us, and they knew what they were doing,” he said, adding that he believed the explosions were possibly a hate crime or the result of a vendetta.
Authorities have said they do not think the bombings were connected to the South by Southwest festival, although fears from these explosions extended into the event, with a bomb threat forcing the Roots to cancel a concert Saturday night. Police said they arrested Trevor Weldon Ingram, 26, in connection with that threat.
Berman and Flynn reported from Washington. Moravec reported from Austin. This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.