Austin Police are investigating another explosion. The blast happened just before noon in East Austin, sending an elderly woman to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. It's the second blast of the day after a teen was killed when a parcel bomb went off inside his home before 7 am. It's the third explosion in Austin since March 2.
The ATF and FBI are now very active in the case -- trying to track down leads and analyzing evidence left behind on the bombs.
The motive is unknown.
Police said they have to consider it a possible hate crime because, in at least the first two cases, the victims have been African American.
Governor Greg Abbott has been briefed by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and has offered whatever resources necessary to assist authorities in their investigation. Additionally, the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or persons involved in the deadly package blasts that have occurred in Austin over the past 10 days.
"First and foremost, Cecilia and I offer our thoughts and prayers to the victims of these atrocious attacks," said Governor Abbott. "I want to assure all Texans, and especially those in Austin, that local, state and federal law enforcement officials are working diligently to find those responsible for these heinous crimes. As the investigation continues, the State of Texas will provide any resources necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens, and quickly bring those guilty to justice."
To be eligible for a cash reward of up to $15,000, tips must be submitted to Texas Crime Stoppers using one of the following methods:
Call the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477)Text the letters "DPS"- followed by your tip – to 274637 (CRIMES)Submit a web tip through the websiteSubmit a tip through the DPS Mobile App
All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous regardless of submission type.