Mark Anthony Conditt, a suspect in the wave of bombings that terrorized Austin, killed himself early Wednesday in what police described as an explosion inside his car, leaving investigators scrambling to determine whether any bombs remain and if he acted alone.
Conditt, named by a source with direct involvement in the investigation, detonated a bomb in his vehicle before dawn on the side of Interstate 35 in Round Rock, north of Austin, as police approached him, authorities said.
Police had come to believe Conditt was responsible for five explosions that killed two people and injured five others in and near Austin beginning March 2.
With fear mounting across the region, authorities tracked Conditt to a hotel in Round Rock reportedly using receipts, internet searches, witness sketches and, ultimately, surveillance video that revealed he’d delivered packages days earlier to an area FedEx store, officials said.
Authorities had the hotel surrounded early Wednesday, when Conditt got in his vehicle and drove away, police said. They followed him. That’s when he pulled into a ditch and blew himself up, police said. The blast injured a SWAT officer.
Even in announcing his death, though, police warned a wary public not to let down their guard.
“We don’t know where this suspect has spent his last 24 hours, and therefore we still need to remain vigilant to ensure that no other packages or devices have been left throughout the community,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said.
Source: CNN
