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The Austin bomber is dead, according to multiple news reports from Texas. The man believed responsible for terrorizing the Texas community with a series of serial bombings took his own life after police and the FBI cornered the bomber in the early morning hours of March 21, the local news reports said.
The bomber died after detonating a device, reports say. You can watch a live feed of the bomber coverage here. The bomber was cornered near a Red Roof Inn in the Round Rock area of Texas.
Here’s another live broadcast:
“Sources say the suspect killed himself using an explosive device,” Austin journalist Tony Plohetski wrote on Twitter as the news broke. Photos also emerged of a person of interest, supposedly wearing a wig, shortly before the bomber’s death. They were published by News 4 San Antonio as authorities started closing in on the mysterious and deadly bomber. The suspect was reportedly pursued by police along I-35. The Austin bomber’s name was not yet released.
“He appears to be a white male. Just looks like a regular guy,” a CBS Austin anchorwoman said during one live broadcast, describing the photos. The bomber’s death unfolded at or near a Red Roof Inn.
The suspect’s death came at the end of an officer-involved shooting, reports said. Some reports said shots were fired, but authorities had not yet given a formal news conference on the suspect’s capture and demise.
The suspect may have “detonated an explosive device as police attempted to arrest him.” WFAA-TV reporter Jason Whitely wrote on Twitter around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, “The suspect in the #AustinBombings has been killed after FBI, Austin police tracked him down and engaged him in Round Rock within the last hour, according to state law enforcement officials. A device detonated –which they expected when they pursued him. Then shots.” Watch live coverage from CBS Austin here.
“BREAKING: APD, FBI arresting suspect in Austin bombing. Suspect detonated device, shots were fired. #AustinBomber #austinPD,” reported Kris Betts of KVUE-TV. However, news then came that the suspected bomber was dead.
According to NBC Los Angeles, “The confrontation took place between the Austin PD SWAT team and the individual believed to be connected to the bombings.”
CBS Austin said the wig-wearing person of interest in the first photos was the same person who is now dead. “BREAKING: Exclusive photos of Austin bombing ‘Person of Interest’ dropping off 2 packages at Austin @FedEx store. Believed to be wearing wig. Recognize him? Contact: @FBI @Austin_Police,” News 4 reporter Randy Beamer wrote on Twitter on March 20, 2018. Based on the photos circulated by Beamer, the alleged bomber’s mistake may have been the FedEx package that exploded, leading authorities to surveillance video and a sense of his identity.
According to the San Antonio television station, the station “obtained photos of the person investigators believe dropped off two suspicious packages on Sunday. Investigators say this is a person of interest and that the two packages are connected to the string of explosions in Austin.” The station reported that the photos came from “inside a South Austin FedEx Office store on Brodie Lane where the person shipped the two packages.”
One of those packages exploded on Tuesday March 20 at the FedEx facility near San Antonio.