Source: Drew Anthony Smith / Getty
The fact that there are no apparent solid leads or suspects for the domestic terror package bombings that have killed Black people in Texas is distressing, to say the least.
Three separate packages filled with explosives have been left at three separate homes in Austin since March 2, when a 39-year-old man, who is Black, was killed while opening one. The other two incidents happened Monday—one killing a 17-year-old Black boy and another injuring a grandmother, who is Hispanic. Police said the elderly woman may not have been the target of the attack.
The bombings became national news after the two blasts on Monday. It was a top story for just about every major media outlet in the country and prompted federal involvement of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
But the optics are damning, as there have been few noteworthy developments in the investigation, which could be the result of law enforcement’s tried and true recipe of not prioritizing cases that involve Black death.
In contrast, it’s always much different when white folks are on the receiving end of domestic terrorism. The 2016 bombing in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City set off an immediate manhunt that ended in a quick arrest and ultimate conviction. It was the same with the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. And in the case of the elusive Unabomber, investigators conducted an unrelenting 18-year search.
There are clearly some differences between Austin and the other cases. The Boston Marathon bombing, for instance, happened at a major public event where there was public surveillance video available. Regardless, the sense of urgency shown by police in those cases don’t match up with what we’re seeing out of Austin right now. Coincidence?
NewsOne called the Austin Police Department to request information on the investigation—suspect sketches, video, anything. However, the call went immediately unreturned.
Where Is the Sense of Urgency to Find the Austin Bomber Killing Black People? was originally published on newsone.com
