FBI, ATF and police investigating deadly Texas explosion
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — A multi-pronged investigation involving multiple agencies is underway after a device exploded on a front porch Friday morning, killing the man who was handling it.
Austin police say the call came in at 6:55 a.m. on the 1100 block of Haverford Drive, in the Harris Ridge neighborhood. Several 911 callers reported hearing an explosion and said that a victim had traumatic injuries.
Austin-Travis County EMS says a man in his 40s was taken to St. Davids Round Rock with critical, life-threatening injuries. Police say the man died a short time later.
During a news conference Friday morning, Police Chief Brian Manley was flanked by representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) and a postal inspector. Manley says they believe this is an isolated incident, but theyre not making any assumptions.
Based on what we know right now, we have no reason to believe this is anything beyond an isolated incident that took place at this residence and in no way this is linked to a terroristic attack, Manley says.
As part of the investigation, detectives are reaching out to all the companies that deliver mail in the area to see if a package was recently delivered to the home. Manley says they are still trying to determine what the device was and what caused the actual explosion. People who live in the area tell KXAN police told them it might have been a pipe bomb.
Neighbors reported hearing a large boom and several ran over to the home to see what happened. One person told KXAN he saw his neighbor covered in blood and then collapse on the porch.
I said boom a loud noise, you hear gunshots every once in a while, but we thought maybe it was an elephant gun, neighbor Kenneth Thompson Sr. says. Its the loudest boom Ive heard in a long time here.
K-9s were used to sniff out the area to make sure all evidence related to the explosion wasnt missed and that the area was secured.