Explosion at Texas Goodwill Leaves 1 Injured, Police Say It Isn't Connected to the 5 Austin Bombings
An explosion occurred at a Goodwill in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday though police quickly announced they did not believe it was connected to the work of a suspected serial bomber elsewhere in the area.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening and left one man in his 30s injured with a nonlife-threatening injury, according to the Austin American-Statesmen.
The Austin Police Department tweeted that the items inside of the package dropped off at the Goodwill was not a package bomb but “an incendiary device” and that there was “no reason to believe this incident is related to previous package bombs” that have occurred in the city.
“#UPDATE: There was no package explosion in the 9800 block of Brodie Ln. Items inside package was not a bomb, rather an incendiary device. At this time, we have no reason to believe this incident is related to previous package bombs. #Breaking #packagebombmurders,” the department tweeted.
#UPDATE: There was no package explosion in the 9800 block of Brodie Ln. Items inside package was not a bomb, rather an incendiary device. At this time, we have no reason to believe this incident is related to previous package bombs. #Breaking #packagebombmurders
— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 21, 2018
A Goodwill spokesperson told KVUE ABC that the victim was an employee was looking through the donations when the device exploded. No other people were injured and the building was evacuated.
While the incident has not been linked to the other bombings that have left the city on edge, less than an hour beforehand authorities did link the other five bombings to each other.
The Austin Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), issued a joint press release stating that two packages located on Tuesday at FedEx facilities — one involving a package disrupted by law enforcement, and another that exploded leaving one person mildly injured — were related to four other previous package explosions that occurred between March 2 and March 18.
Re Haz Mat Task Force 9801 Brodie at Goodwill. Austin Fire on scene at reported package explosion. @Austin_Police and @ATCEMS on scene as well. One reported injury and crews evacuating building
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) March 21, 2018
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The explosions happening in Austin have left two people dead and had injured others, according to ABC News.
The outlet reported it was not confirmed if the Goodwill explosion was connected to the other incidents.
Since March 2, four other devices have exploded throughout Austin — all located in an area near Interstate 35, which connects Austin and San Antonio.
Bomb went off at goodwill store behind my house around 7 pm; standing in field next to my house with my dog; police helicopter is circling overhead; people keep driving down my street trying to bypass blocked traffic; I know I’m a grizzled journalist but I’m a little shook up tbh
— Roberto Villalpando (@daddyrobot) March 21, 2018
A retired FBI criminal profiler, James R. Fitzgerald, told PEOPLE the suspect is familiar with the area.
“He’s not offending where he lives right now because it would be a little too close to home,” he said. “But he probably has familiarity with one or more of those areas.”
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On March 2, the first bomb detonated and killed Anthony House, a 39-year-old Austin resident who picked up the explosive device disguised as a package on his doorstep.
“These are sophisticated devices put together by someone who knows what he’s doing,” Fitzgerald said. “He knew not just how to design it and place it, but how to travel with it, too.”
The explosions continued on March 12, where 17-year-old Draylen Mason died after picking up a package and two more people were seriously injured.
