Austin Shaken By Sophisticated Explosives as SXSW Hits Full Swing

Texas’ capital city Austin is on high alert after a series of three exploding packages was left around the city this month, killing two people and seriously injuring two others.

In a time when the city is packed with festival-goers attending South by Southwest (SXSW), police are continuing the investigations into the construction of bombs that are very sophisticated. The explosions occurred several miles apart and over the course of 11 days, but police believe that they are related.

The motivation behind the attacks remains a mystery, but authorities have stated they do not believe these events are in any way related to SXSW. Austin police have urged residents to stay vigilant of their surroundings and report any suspicious items or behavior, leading to 150 calls to 911 between Monday and Tuesday morning; none of these calls led to the discovery of any danger.

My prayers are with the families of those that lost their life or injured during the three explosions. The investigation into the incidents is ongoing. As of this morning at 5 a.m. #AustinPD has received 150 calls about suspicious packages.

— Chief Brian Manley (@chief_manley) March 13, 2018

As part of their investigation, authorities are also gauging the possibility of these attacks being hate crimes; the man and teenage boy who were killed by the explosions were both black, while a seriously injured victim of Monday’s explosion is an elderly Hispanic woman.

The male victims were related to prominent members of the African American community in Austin, leaving some wondering if these relations were part of what prompted the events.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has offered a $15,000 cash reward to anyone who can provide useful information about the perpetrators of these attacks.