Texas bombing suspect’s home now being searched
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) – The suspected Austin bomber is dead after detonating a bomb inside a car on Interstate 35 and after a SWAT officer fired at him, Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley said. The bomber’s name is Mark Anthony Conditt, 23.
“This is the culmination of three very long weeks in our community,” Manley said.
The explosion happened on Interstate 35 in Round Rock near Old Settlers Boulevard around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators had recently identified a white man as a person of interest and then a suspect, and found the vehicle he was known to drive at a hotel in Round Rock.
Officials filed a federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant against Conditt Tuesday night, charging him with one count of Unlawful Possession and Transfer of a Destructive Device. The complaint affidavit is sealed at this time.
Law enforcement took up positions around that hotel and was waiting for APD’s tactical team to arrive to take Conditt into custody when he started to drive away. Officials followed, and he pulled to the side of southbound Interstate 35.
When SWAT approached, Chief Manley says he detonated a bomb, which knocked one SWAT officer back and gave him minor injuries. Another officer who is an 11-year APD veteran fired at Conditt. He will be placed on administrative duty, per APD policy.
The suspect died and had “significant injuries” from the bomb, Manley said. Officials do not yet have a motive for the bombings but say they believe he is connected to all of them since March 2.
Southbound I-35 was closed for much of the morning while officials investigated but reopened around 8:25 a.m. Round Rock ISD confirmed school will be open today, but students will be excused if they arrive late because of the traffic. Meridian World School, which is less than a mile from the investigation scene, is delayed until 10 a.m.
Police activity centered in the parking lot of a Red Roof Inn at 1990 N. I-35, just south of Chisholm Parkway.
Michael Luna, a witness staying at the hotel who is ex-military, tells WISH-TV’s sister station KXAN that the blast sounded like two grenades going off.
RRPD says there is no immediate danger to the public. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Austin Police Department, are on scene. APD will conduct an internal investigation into the officer-involved shooting, the Texas Rangers will also investigate, and the police monitor will be involved as well, Manley confirmed.
Manley also warned the public that officials do not yet know what the suspect did in the past day, and they don’t know if there are any more devices in the community. Law enforcement officials warn residents in Austin and surrounding communities to be vigilant and report anything suspicious.
“If you see something that looks suspicious, If you see something out of place, If you see something that gives you concern, call 911 and let us know,” Manley said.
Officials do not yet know if Conditt had an accomplice or accomplices.
Scene at bombing suspect’s home
State troopers, ATF and FBI are in the area of Second Street and Walnut Street in Pflugerville and confirm Conditt’s house is nearby. A SWAT vehicle drove up before 10 a.m. and media were asked to move away from the area.
Around 11:22 a.m. police on scene said they planned to evacuate homes in a 4 to 6 block radius around the suspect’s house. The Pflugerville Police Department evacuated people from downtown Pflugerville west of Railroad Avenue and north of Pecan Street around 11:50 a.m.
Law enforcement has not confirmed whether Conditt made the bombs at his home.
Austin police said they detained and questioned Conditt’s two roommates. It says it won’t release their names at this time because they are not under arrest.
Officials also have a presence at Conditt’s parents’ house a few blocks away. They confirmed his family is cooperating and that the family expressed condolences to the victims. Austin police will also bring in a bomb-sniffing K-9 and other resources to the home.
Closing in on the suspect
Surveillance photos appear to show the suspect inside the FedEx shipping store on Brodie Lane. The pictures show a timestamp of March 18, 2018 at 7:37 p.m. The suspect, who has blonde hair, is wearing a baseball cap and can be seen carrying two packages. His hands appear to have gloves on them.
Governor Greg Abbott said it had been a matter of time before the suspect was caught, as law enforcement officials had been tracking him for the past 24 hours. Witnesses noticed the suspect’s appearance, including a blonde wig, was unusual, and their descriptions helped officials connect the dots in their investigation. Still, Abbott said they wanted to be able to question the suspect.
“No one wanted to see it end how it did,” Abbott said.
A Month of Terror
A multi-agency investigation that spanned numerous locations and two cities over the span of several weeks led authorities to the suspect in Round Rock.
The first bombing happened on Friday, March 2 at a home located at 1112 Haverford Dr. in northeast Austin. Anthony Stephan House, 39, died when he picked up a package on his front porch.
The second and third bombing happened 10 days later on Monday, March 12. The first explosion rocked Oldfort Hill Drive in east Austin at 6:44 a.m. Draylen Mason, 17, died at the scene. His mother was taken to the hospital with injuries.
The second explosion that day happened on Galindo Street in southeast Austin. Esperanza Morena Herrera, 75, was critically injured and remains hospitalized.
The fourth bombing happened in southwest Austin in the Travis Country neighborhood on Sunday, March 18 around 8:30 p.m. Two men in their 20s were injured when a tripwire bomb exploded on Dawn Song Drive. This case showed the serial bomber using a different method since the first three cases involved packages left at homes.
The fifth explosion happened on Tuesday, March 20 in Schertz at a FedEx sorting facility. That explosion led authorities to another suspicious package at the FedEx facility in southeast Austin. Manley said they aren’t releasing who those packages were being sent to, but says law enforcement has been in touch with them.On the same day, local and federal authorities confirmed the serial bomber sent two packages from the FedEx shipping store on Brodie Lane.
Over the course of the investigation, KXAN discovered investigators visited numerous hardware stores across the city searching for evidence.