Texas Gov. Greg Abbott through his office’s Criminal Justice Division is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for useful information leading to the arrest of the person or people involved in the package bombs.
Abbott said in a released statement: “As the investigation continues, the state of Texas will provide any resources necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens, and quickly bring those guilty to justice.”
Tips should be forwarded to Texas Crime Stoppers through the following means:
Calling Texas Crime Stoppers at 800-252-8477
Texting the letters “DPS” and your tip to 274637
Submitting a web tip through the Crime Stoppers website (https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTipsCSI.aspx?L=E&AgencyID=650)
Submit a tip through the DPS mobile app
Austin-Travis County EMS also updated that 75-year-old woman was injured in the second reported explosion outside her Southeast Austin home in Austin on Monday.
Medics were promptly dispatched to the 6700 block of Galindo Street, near Montopolis and East Riverside drives in Southeast Austin at 11:49 a.m. The elderly woman was then brought to Dell Seton Medical Center with serious and potentially life-threatening injuries.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">AFD units onscene in support of <a href="https://twitter.com/Austin_Police?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Austin_Police</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ATCEMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATCEMS</a> at another package explosion incident 6700 blk Galindo <a href="https://t.co/Q2wS65wClR">pic.twitter.com/Q2wS65wClR</a></p>— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinFireInfo/status/973249279484661760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The incident is already the second reported explosion in the city on Monday and the third in two weeks.
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Interim Police Chief Brian Manley confirmed that evidence from the blast suggested that the bombing was related to two previous blasts from “box-type deliveries” that killed a teenager earlier in the day and a 39-year-old man 10 days ago.
An explosion earlier in the day in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive in East Austin led to the death of a 17-year-old and also injured a woman described as in her 40s.
Manley said hours after the said incident that the explosion appeared similar and likely related to another explosion in Northeast Austin on March 2.
Manley said the incidents are being probed by the police and federal authorities as a homicide, while they are not ruling out the possibility of the blasts being a hate crime because the victims in those cases happened to be African-Americans.
Authorities on Monday also warned residents against picking up suspicious packages arriving on their doorsteps and bringing such inside their homes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨If you receive a package that you are not expecting or looks suspicious, DO NOT open it, call 911 immediately. RT- Help us spread this message. 🚨 <a href="https://t.co/j9bxbaaBce">https://t.co/j9bxbaaBce</a></p>— Chief Brian Manley (@chief_manley) <a href="https://twitter.com/chief_manley/status/973250049693151232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The U.S. Postal Service for its part told investigators that the packages did not come through their facilities, so the packages were likely deliberately left by someone at the doorstep.
Manley also said they have already determined the kind of explosive devices used but will rather not reveal the details in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Manley vows: “We will not tolerate this in Austin.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Briefing regarding explosion on Galindo. <a href="https://t.co/gkSSgME0S4">https://t.co/gkSSgME0S4</a></p>— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/Austin_Police/status/973284285410025472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Source:
Twitter: #MAGA #KeepAmericaGreat! #Austin #Texas #Explosions #Packages #HateCrimes #USPostalService
These fucktards just need to drop one off at a ring equipped home and it's game over for them.
Also what would prompt someone to open a box they were not expecting from a sender they never heard of? I'd be super suspicious of any box on my porch I wasn't expecting especially after not recognizing the return addy.