Austin bombing suspect identified
Conditt, 24, was killed by one of his explosives earlier this morning.
He is believed to have been a resident of Pflugerville, Texas, a town just north of Austin.
A family friend, who does not want her name shared publicly, spoke to ABC News about Conditt and his family.
“The family is a normal Christian family. There was nothing going on with Mark when I knew him, I knew him as a teenager. He reminded me of every teenage boy, it was hard to get a smile out of him," the friend said.
“These people are hurting and will have to bury their son in pieces, their family is good,” she said.
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| PHOTO: Law enforcement personnel investigate the scene where the Texas bombing suspect blew himself up on the side of a highway north of Austin in Round Rock, Texas, March 21, 2018. (Loren Elliott/Reuters) |
The incidents associated with Conditt included three package bombs that detonated at residences in Austin, then an explosive triggered by a tripwire, a package bomb that went off at a FedEx distribution center about 65 miles southwest of Austin in Schertz, and finally a second package that was found intact at a different FedEx center.
The final explosion, which killed Conditt, took place early this morning when he reportedly detonated the bomb as police approached his car.
Agents rebuilt several of the bombs and were able to determine that they had a telltale signature, which included the components in the bombs and the explosives used.
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| PHOTO: Suspect in a series of bombings around Austin, Texas, 24-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt, of Pflugerville, Texas. (Danene Conditt/Facebook) |
Investigators then did gumshoe detective work – finding out which stores sold the materials, and figuring out who bought them. That ultimately led them to a vehicle, address and identity.
According to Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who was briefed by the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety this morning, the suspect purchased bomb making material at Home Depot near his house. The materials included nails for shrapnel and battery packs.
McCaul said that investigators tracked Conditt using his car and cellphone, zeroing in on him as the primary suspect after spotting him on surveillance video trying to mail a package from a agen judi bola shipping center in Southwest Austin.
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| PHOTO: Police collect evidence after the bombing suspect blew himself up after being confronted by police in Round Rock, Texas, March 21, 2018. (Stephen Stillman/EPA via Shutterstock) |
In spite of earlier suggestions that the suspect may have had military experience given the sophisticated nature of the explosives used, records indicate that Conditt never served in the military.
Police are still concerned that other packages may have already been sent or placed elsewhere in the city and warned the public to stay vigilant in reporting suspicious items.
Authorities are actively searching Conditt’s house, looking for more information and a possible motive, McCaul said.
KTRK's Tom Abrahams contributed to this report.
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