Austin Explosion: Another Blast Rattles Jittery Texas City

An explosion that injured a man in a charity shop in Austin, Texas, is not linked to a series of package bomb attacks that have left two dead, police said.

The explosion Tuesday night was caused by an old military incendiary device donated to the store, according to authorities. The city has been on edge after a series of blasts, with hundreds of police now involved in the search for the person or persons responsible.

GettyImages-935438328
Police respond after one person was injured by a package containing an incendiary device at a nearby Goodwill store on March 20, 2018 in Austin, Texas. Despite a heavy response of local and federal law... Getty Images

Earlier Tuesday, a parcel bomb exploded at a FedEx depot near Scherz, about 65 miles south of Austin, injuring one person. Police said the device was due to be sent to Austin. Another parcel bomb, which according to ABC News was found at an Austin depot, was "disrupted by law enforcement" and did not explode.

Read more: Austin bombings shine spotlight on racial divisions as world focuses on city's progressive culture

In an attack on Sunday night two men were injured after activating a tripwire explosive left on a sidewalk.

President Donald Trump has called the attacks the work of "a very, very sick individual, or maybe individuals."

"We will get to the bottom of it. We will be very strong," said the president Tuesday.

Austin Police Department tweeted that Tuesday's blast caused "potentially serious" but non-life threatening injuries to a man in his 30s in a shop in Brodie Lane.

"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," tweeted police.

In a later press briefing, police said that the employee was injured handling an artillery simulator dropped off at the Goodwill store.

The series of attacks started on March 2, when 29-year-old Anthony Stephan House's was killed by a package bomb left on his doorstep.

On March 13, Draylen William Mason, 17, was killed and his mother seriously injured after bringing a package bomb inside their Austin home.

Later that same day a Latino woman was seriously injured by a package bomb device while visiting her mother's home.

The two men killed were African American, and police have not ruled out racism as a motive.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go