TX - Austin Package Bombs

[Christineisfab]

I can't think of another bombing case with this many attacks in such close proximity. They usually go quiet for a while, which as you said, would be advantageous to him. The fact that there is no clear pattern in terms of victimology, is certainly making the job of law enforcement that much more difficult. It could still of course be race related, but the fact that the last two victims were white, lessens that possibility somewhat.

I recently watched a documentary about Timothy McVeigh and it might be that this person either wants to get caught or just doesn't care about getting caught. If it's a hate crime, these people often think of themselves as martyrs and don't mind getting caught if they can do as much damage as possible.

I'm still thinking racial crime, even with this latest explosion-- White Supremacists can be angry at all sorts of people, even not of a specific race. I think it's possible that they knew (or at least knew of) the first three victims and then just decided to direct their rage elsewhere.

All IMO

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[x_files]

The gap can always be explained by the time it takes to assemble the devices.

agreed. could have been spent plotting a new method.

 

[rsd1200]

Thinking on the nails and such and it possibly being a bucket bomb. The teen who bombed that group of people in Britain, had a pretty large bucket, filled with knives and such, & with 400g of explosives. It hurt quite a lot of folks, but his didn't go off as he'd planned, so thankfully, no one was killed. His was on a timer, not a trip wire. He had the bucket bomb in a bag though, and left the bag, and he got off, before the timer went off. Maybe the backpack, in the Austin Bomber's 4th bomb, was the container for a smaller scale, bucket bomb. Just thinking...

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...-knives-and-nails-court-is-told-36679537.html

 

[MassGuy]

Thinking on the nails and such and it possibly being a bucket bomb. The teen who bombed that group of people in Britain, had a pretty large bucket, filled with knives and such, & with 400g of explosives. It hurt quite a lot of folks, but his didn't go off as he'd planned, so thankfully, no one was killed. His was on a timer, not a trip wire. He had the bucket bomb in a bag though, and left the bag, and he got off, before the timer went off. Maybe the backpack, in the Austin Bomber's 4th bomb, was the container for a smaller scale, bucket bomb. Just thinking...

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...-knives-and-nails-court-is-told-36679537.html

Many bombers add nails, shrapnel, ball bearings etc. to their bombs in order to increase their capacity to maim and kill. Adding these elements to a bomb doesn't tell you what type of device it was. Eric Robert Rudolph used this technique with his pipe bombs. The Boston bombers did it with their pressure cooker devices. ​

 

[grimsb]

For people wondering how a package bomb can be "safely" transported and placed, then detonate when picked up-- it might be something like this:
https://youtu.be/HmCkPnUXr0A

In that example, the liquid mercury circuit is broken ("off") if the tube is positioned vertically, but closed ("on") if the tube is moved to a horizontal position or tilted.

So, the bomber could carry a package around and place it in a way that keeps the tube vertical. When someone picks up the package and tilts it, the circuit closes and the bomb detonates.

(similar switches can be oriented slightly differently to make them more or less sensitive to movement)

 

[rsd1200]

Many bombers add nails, shrapnel, ball bearings etc. to their bombs in order to increase their capacity to maim and kill. Adding these elements to a bomb doesn't tell you what type of device it was. Eric Robert Rudolph used this technique with his pipe bombs. The Boston bombers did it with their pressure cooker devices. ​

I'm purely guessing. I do think he may have fit it in the bag though. The bag was the cover. If it had been as large as a pressure cooker bomb, with 400g of explosives then I don't think those two guys would have survived. I'm mostly wondering if he is changing things up as he goes, or if he is sticking to a "type". The method with #4 is new. We have two that they've confirmed with shrapnel of some sort (nails, etc). Is he attempting bigger and better? Or is he changing up to keep people scared and indoors. If it's the latter, why?

 

[MassGuy]

I'm purely guessing. I do think he may have fit it in the bag though. The bag was the cover. If it had been as large as a pressure cooker bomb, with 400g of explosives then I don't think those two guys would have survived. I'm mostly wondering if he is changing things up as he goes, or if he is sticking to a "type". The method with #4 is new. We have two that they've confirmed with shrapnel of some sort (nails, etc). Is he attempting bigger and better? Or is he changing up to keep people scared and indoors. If it's the latter, why?

https://www.mystatesman.com/news/cr...eaking-bomber-profile/EqKaJEY9odBb82MkqncgqI/
Basically this guy's knowledge is more advanced than authorities originally believed, his ability to change detonation methods shows advanced capabilities. He's getting more sophisticated, which is scary. He isn't going to stop until he is caught and he will be caught.

 

[rsd1200]

https://www.mystatesman.com/news/cr...eaking-bomber-profile/EqKaJEY9odBb82MkqncgqI/
Basically this guy's knowledge is more advanced than authorities originally believed, his ability to change detonation methods shows advanced capabilities. He's getting more sophisticated, which is scary. He isn't going to stop until he is caught and he will be caught.

Oh yeah. He's a smart guy. I don't doubt that. Not just b/c of the bombs but the whole scenario. How he's chosen his spots, gotten in and gotten out, the whole of it all. I think he'd done surveillance too. I've been tossing around as to what line of work he might he be in.

 

[MassGuy]

Oh yeah. He's a smart guy. I don't doubt that. Not just b/c of the bombs but the whole scenario. How he's chosen his spots, gotten in and gotten out, the whole of it all. I think he'd done surveillance too. I've been tossing around as to what line of work he might he be in.

Yeah, it's interesting to speculate as to what he does for a living and how that ties in to his knowledge of explosives. It could be a completely unrelated field, or he's former military ordnance disposal or something. Its amazing how much the authorities can learn from the physical structure of the bombs, where the components came from etc. They can also find DNA in some situations. A bomb just leaves behind so much evidence that it's just a matter of time before the authorities put the pieces together. And that's only one of numerous ways that this guy might be caught. You also have potential witnesses, surveillance footage, someone who turns him in, he's caught in the act, etc.

 

[rsd1200]

Yeah, it's interesting to speculate as to what he does for a living and how that ties in to his knowledge of explosives. It could be a completely unrelated field, or he's former military ordnance disposal or something. Its amazing how much the authorities can learn from the physical structure of the bombs, where the components came from etc. They can also find DNA in some situations. A bomb just leaves behind so much evidence that it's just a matter of time before the authorities put the pieces together. And that's only one of numerous ways that this guy might be caught. You also have potential witnesses, surveillance footage, someone who turns him in, he's caught in the act, etc.

Let's hope that he's caught soon. I think he may just keep going if not. We've got more technology than we had when TK was at it, it took years to get him. He was/is highly intelligent, but had some strange ideals. I wonder if the Austin Bomber has had any brushes with the law. Even a minor one. I read a study the other day that although violent crime was on the decrease, so was solving violent crime. I'd have thought that with today's technology it would have been the opposite. Bomber's, to me, are in their own little subset. Just making the bomb is dangerous in and of itself. He could, possibly, be right in the middle of a subdivision, building away, in his garage, his neighbors none the wiser.

 

[MassGuy]

Let's hope that he's caught soon. I think he may just keep going if not. We've got more technology than we had when TK was at it, it took years to get him. He was/is highly intelligent, but had some strange ideals. I wonder if the Austin Bomber has had any brushes with the law. Even a minor one. I read a study the other day that although violent crime was on the decrease, so was solving violent crime. I'd have thought that with today's technology it would have been the opposite. Bomber's, to me, are in their own little subset. Just making the bomb is dangerous in and of itself. He could, possibly, be right in the middle of a subdivision, building away, in his garage, his neighbors none the wiser.

Yeah, these guys don't stop, if anything he's escalating. The scary thing is you're right, he could be building his bombs in an area where many innocent people could fall victim to an accidental detonation. These guys are definitely their own animal. They have a ton of federal and local law enforcement involved in this, so hopefully this has a resolution before he strikes again. The next one will tell us a lot about his mentality. He'll either strike outside the Austin area or he's grown so bold that he doesn't care.

 

[CARIIS]

i had not really followed this. Aware of it

But man trip wire stuff is truly horrfiying

Obviously behind ! But that picture with the bike in it --- gosh it looks like a blast zone

it is terrorism pure and simple

 

[SuziQ]

Security expert says bomb suspect could move northwest

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/aust...ess-who-the-austin-bomber-could-be/1058820583

 

[dshay]

In that example, the liquid mercury circuit is broken ("off") if the tube is positioned vertically, but closed ("on") if the tube is moved to a horizontal position or tilted.

So, the bomber could carry a package around and place it in a way that keeps the tube vertical. When someone picks up the package and tilts it, the circuit closes and the bomb detonates.

(similar switches can be oriented slightly differently to make them more or less sensitive to movement)

Mercury switches were phased out a while back due to toxicity and not easy to source. There are a number of sensors/technologies that have replaced them. Tilt sensors and various types of motion sensors...

The triggering is easy, what law enforcement has been pointing out is this person knows enough to ensure safe successful deployment. safety lockouts/arm/disarm mechanisms are normally thought of in industrial automation/factories and military.

I don't know if I believe the reports that LE has been indicating the perp is more technologically advanced than they previously thought. They might be stoking this persons ego in an attempt to get some sort of manifesto communication at the recommendation of FBI profilers.

 

[LadyL]

is it true that all the victims or targets have been upper class African Americans?

 

[MassGuy]

Mercury switches were phased out a while back due to toxicity and not easy to source. There are a number of sensors/technologies that have replaced them. Tilt sensors and various types of motion sensors...

The triggering is easy, what law enforcement has been pointing out is this person knows enough to ensure safe successful deployment. safety lockouts/arm/disarm mechanisms are normally thought of in industrial automation/factories and military.

I don't know if I believe the reports that LE has been indicating the perp is more technologically advanced than they previously thought. They might be stoking this persons ego in an attempt to get some sort of manifesto communication at the recommendation of FBI profilers.

They are absolutely attempting to stoke this guy's ego, as evident by that press conference yesterday. I don't think that their statement about this guy increasing his sophistication is purely an attempt in that regard however. The tripwire trigger at the very least requires a different configuration, and demonstrates his ability to adapt to increased public awareness of suspicious doorstep packages. Law enforcement is definitely hoping that he reaches out to them and they are certainly encouraging it with their public statements.

 

[MassGuy]

is it true that all the victims or targets have been upper class African Americans?

The initial two bombings were perpetrated against African Americans. The third was Hispanic and the fourth attack injured two white males. Initially it appeared to be a hate crime, but that might not be the case, judging by the fact that he has seemingly started bombing indiscriminately.

 

[DexterMorgan]

Security expert says bomb suspect could move northwest

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/aust...ess-who-the-austin-bomber-could-be/1058820583

Nope. Let him stay where he is at and catch that man.

Don't let him come this way. Lol.

And I bet he is probably very active on certain social media sites or supremacy forums. Jmo

 

[DexterMorgan]

The initial two bombings were perpetrated against African Americans. The third was Hispanic and the fourth attack injured two white males. Initially it appeared to be a hate crime, but that might not be the case, judging that he has started bombing indiscriminately.

I think the 2 white males stumbled on to the package on the side of the road or something. So even if he detonated it himself; They could have just found it at the wrong time and he blew it up so it wouldn't be an entire bomb once the fbi got there. I don't know the specifics though. So I can be totally wrong about who was the intended targets of that last one.

 

[MassGuy]

I think the 2 white males stumbled on to the package on the side of the road or something. So even if he detonated himself; They could have just found it at the wrong time and he blew it up so it wouldn't be an entire bomb once the fbi got there. I don't know the specifics though. So I can be totally wrong about who was the intended targets of that last one.

They were two friends, one on a bicycle and one on foot. A tripwire was placed across the sidewalk attached to a "For Sale" sign. It was apparently set up to detonate by anyone passing by. The bombs up until that point were placed on doorsteps, leading to the opinion that those people were targeted. This last one was completely random, with no specific individual in mind. Fortunately those two young men are going to be ok.