22 Mar 2018

Austin bombing suspect blows self up as police close in

From Morning Report, 7:12 am on 22 March 2018

The main suspect in the series of deadly bombings around Austin, Texas, has blown himself up on the side of a highway as police closed in on him. Brian Manley is the Chief of the Austin Police. He says hundreds of people have been investigating the bombings for weeks. Police had tracked the A 23-year-old suspect, Mark Anthony Conditt, to a hotel near Austin, the state's capital city, and were following him when Chief Manley says he pulled to the side of the road and detonated a device, killing himself. In the last three weeks he's suspected of a string of bombings that killed two people and injured five others. The whereabouts of the suspect for the 24 hours before his death is still unclear. So authorities are urging people to remain vigilant. Mose Buchele is with KUT radio in Austin. He tells Susie Ferguson that while there is relief the suspect has been stopped, there are lingering fears there may be more bombs.