AUSTIN, Texas — As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, Austin police had received 150 calls about suspicious packages after a string of deadly package explosions this month that have left two dead and two injured across the city, interim Police Chief Brian Manley said.
Nothing suspicious was found after any of the calls, police said.
The chief is continuing to urge people to remain vigilant and not to open any unexpected or suspicious packages.
“If you see something suspicious, call 911,” he said via Twitter.
On Monday, Austin police responded to two package explosions within hours of each other.
The first explosion was reported at 6:45 a.m. Monday in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive, where police say a 17-year-old was killed after picking up a package near the front door. A woman in her 40s was seriously injured in the explosion, police said.
A second blast was reported shortly before noon in the 6700 block of Galindo Street, where police say a 75-year-old woman was seriously injured removing a package from her porch.
Earlier this month, Anthony Stephan House was killed March 2 when a package exploded on his porch in the 1100 block of Haverford Drive in Northeast Austin.
Police have said they believe all the explosions are related and federal agencies including the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have joined the investigation.
“My prayers are with the families of those that lost their life or (were) injured during the three explosions,” Manley said Tuesday. “The investigation into the incidents is ongoing.”
Residents who live around Oldfort Hill Drive in East Austin were jumpy Tuesday morning and some appeared afraid to answer their doors.
Tracy Nguyen, 32, who lives down the street from where the first package exploded Monday, said she was cautious after hearing the news and would not be ordering anything to her home anytime soon.
“I’m even afraid to check my mailbox,” she said. “It seems like such a random act.”
Nguyen, who is Vietnamese, said she was worried hearing the attacks could be racially motivated. Police said the two people killed were African-American and the woman injured in the third explosion was Hispanic.
“It could have been me,” Nguyen said. “It could have been anyone.”
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