Austin bombing suspect dead, kills self by detonating bomb in car

Officials say they believe the individual responsible for the recent series of bombings and explosions in Austin is dead.

The identity of the suspect has not been officially released but the Associated Press says that a law enforcement official tells them the suspect was Mark Anthony Conditt, 23.

Manley spoke about what led authorities to the suspect and said that the suspect was originally found in the parking lot of a hotel in Round Rock. 

Police say they wanted a peaceful solution but the suspect started driving away and police and SWAT began to pursue him. 

Officials say the suspect died after detonating a bomb inside his car as two officers were approaching the vehicle.

One officer suffered minor injuries when the bomb went off and the other officer fired a single shot. The officer who fired the shot has been placed on administrative leave as is protocol in these situations.

Gov. Greg Abbott was interviewed on Good Day Austin and confirmed that the suspect is from Pflugerville and that investigators are interviewing his roommates. The roommates are reportedly not suspects. Abbott says police will also be looking at the suspect's social media for clues. 

Austin police believe the suspect that died this morning is responsible for the all the reported explosions but stress that people should remain vigilant as police learn more about the suspect's whereabouts over the last 24 hours. Police say they will also continue to investigate if the suspect worked with any others.

Five explosions kept many people on edge in Austin. That included a heavy response to a Goodwill store in south Austin which ended up being unrelated.

The first incident related to the serial Austin bomber was on March 2. Police responded to an explosion on Haverford Drive in northeast Austin. 39-year-old Anthony House was taken to the hospital where he died. At the time police believed it was an isolated incident.

Then 10 days later on March 12, police responded to an explosion reported at a home on Oldfort Hill Drive off MLK Boulevard in east Austin. That explosion killed 17-year-old Draylen Mason and injured his mother who is expected to be okay.

Hours later on the same day (3/12), another package explosion was reported on Galindo Street near Riverside. A 75-year-old woman was severely injured. 

Police say the packages in the above incidents were not left by an official delivery service.

On March 18, another explosion was reported in the Travis Country neighborhood of southwest Austin. In the evening a device that was believed to be activated by a tripwire went off as two victims were walking alongside the road. Both men were in their 20s and were hurt but are expected to be okay.

By now Austin police say they knew they were dealing with a serial bomber and more than 500 federal agents were called in to assist with the investigation.

The most recent incident was a package explosion at a FedEx in Schertz. One person reported ringing in her ears and was treated at the scene in Schertz and released.

The package at the Schertz facility was believed to have originated from a FedEx location in Sunset Valley on Tuesday (3/20). Officials say the package was intended to return back to Austin.

The reward for information relating to the explosions had been increased to more than $100,000.