AUSTIN, Texas – UPDATE at 6:50 p.m.:
The Austin Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are confirming that the two packages located at separate FedEx facilities in the San Antonio and Austin area are connected to the previous four package explosions.
The previous four explosions occurred within three weeks between March 2 and March 18 in Austin.
Tuesday's package explosion, however, happened less than 70 miles south in Schertz at a FedEx facility. The second package, located at another FedEx facility in Austin, was disrupted by law enforcement officers, authorities said.
FBI, @Austin_Police and @ATFHou confirmed packages located at two separate FedEx facilities in the Austin/San Antonio area today are connected to the four previous package explosions that occurred between March 2 and March 18 in Austin, Texas. #PackageBombMurders
— FBI SanAntonio (@FBISanAntonio) March 20, 2018
ORIGINAL STORY:
A FedEx facility in Austin has been roped off for several hours as FBI agents gather evidence from inside the store. A Sunset Valley police lieutenant said the FBI is investigating a confirmed link between the packages involved in the Austin bombing investigation.
The lieutenant said it appears the business was the source of the packages that ended up at a sorting facility in Schertz, where a package went off Tuesday and hurt one employee.
According to officials, the medium-sized package contained metal shrapnel and nails and was headed to Austin when it exploded on a conveyor track. The explosion comes as authorities search for answers regarding a series of explosions that have shaken Austin.
According to the facility’s website, there is a self-service drop box for packages inside the store, which means whoever mailed the packages had to go inside the business. That means, if there is a surveillance system, authorities could have video of a potential suspect. They may also have fingerprints.
At this point, it’s unknown what sort of evidence authorities have collected from inside the store.
Sunset Valley police said they were asked by the FBI to assist the agency in keeping the public away from the store while evidence is being collected.
Resident Andy Lahti needed to buy some office supplies at the FedEx store, but he was surprised when he saw it surrounded by crime scene tape with FBI agents in the parking lot.
"I've been in Austin a long time, so to have anything like this is pretty weird,” he said.
Residents said they hope agents find something inside that will lead them to the person behind the bombs.
“I think that, clearly, someone is trying to send a message that they're not going to stop. They're going to keep going. They're not targeting anyone specific,” Lahti said. “Considering the areas they hit so far, the same person or individual responsible for that seems to be that there's really no clear motivation or target right now, unless the police have info they're not releasing on that."
The shopping center is only about 2 miles from the Travis County neighborhood where a bomb exploded on Monday, injuring two people.
Sunset Valley police said there are no known threat to residents, which is why all the other businesses in the shopping center where the facility is located have remained open.
RELATED: Package explosion at Schertz FedEx facility likely tied to Austin bombings, AP reports
Re Haz Mat Investigation at 4107 McKinney Falls Rd Fed Ex. Austin Fire and @ATCEMS are assisting @Austin_Police with suspicious package. Austin PD is lead for media.
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) March 20, 2018