Austin Bombings Suspect Reported Dead During Arrest Attempt By Police, FBI

Update: 6:40 a.m. EDT — The police confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday, the suspect in the Austin bombings case died when he detonated a bomb inside his own vehicle.

The SWAT team was closing in on the suspect, who was sitting inside the car, when he detonated the bomb. The blast knocked one of the SWAT members back, who sustained minor injuries. At the same time, another SWAT member fired a round of shots at the suspect, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said.

The suspect, who was not named because positive identification is pending and his next of kin has not been informed, died in the blast. He has only been identified as a 24-year-old male.

The Austin Police Department’s Internal Investigation unit, along with the Austin Police monitor will be investigating the officer who shot at the suspect, to review whether proper police protocol was followed during the event. Another criminal investigation will be carried out by the Texas Rangers into the shooting incident.

Manley thanked the members of the community for staying vigilant in the face of danger.

President Donald Trump praised the Austin police for their great work on this case.

Update: 4:36 a.m. EDT — The Austin bombing suspect was killed following shots fired by the police as soon as he tried to detonate a bomb on Wednesday. Some unconfirmed reports suggest the suspect detonated himself while trying to set off the bomb. It is not yet known how many officers were involved in the shooting or if any of the law enforcement agents were injured.

The unidentified suspect is believed to have dropped off two suspicious packages in the FedEx store on Sunday, CBS Austin reported. One of them exploded on a conveyor belt at a FedEx sorting facility outside of San Antonio, Texas. The second one was intercepted by the police in a facility near the Austin airport. The packages were dropped off at 7:30 p.m. local time (8:30 p.m. EDT).

Surveillance footage from inside the store helped the U.S. Marshal's Lone Star Fugitive Task Force to track down the suspect. Law enforcement was able to track down the suspect using store receipts and cell phone tracking technology in addition to security video. In addition to a white wig, the suspect is also believed to be wearing gloves.

The person who dropped off the two packages is also believed to be responsible for four other explosions that started on March 2, and killed two people, injuring six others.

Congressman Michael McCaul, who was briefed by the FBI, ATF and Austin police about the situation, said at a press conference that he believed the suspect’s “biggest mistake was going through FedEx."

Original story:

The Austin bombings suspect was arrested outside Woodspring Suites and Red Roof Inn on South I-35, Austin, Texas, by the police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents early Wednesday.

The suspect reportedly detonated a bomb in the area and shots were fired. It is not yet clear if the suspect carried a gun. The Austin police is investigating an officer involved in the shooting.

Following are the photos of the suspect dropping off packages inside a FedEx store. He was believed to be wearing a white wig.

There are no reports of injuries yet.

This is a developing story.