The interim Austin Police Chief Brian Manley called the Austin bomber a “domestic terrorist” in a panel discussion Thursday that focused on the community response to the bombings.
Manley said when reflecting on the incidents that for what the bomber “did to our community, he was a domestic terrorist for what he did to us.”
“This is a distinction I wanted to make today,” Manley said after noting he had been careful about the terms he used to describe the events, but followed saying he was comfortable calling the bombings domestic terrorism.
The city of Austin was terrorized earlier this month after a serial bomber exploded five packages in the city killing two and injuring another five people.
The 23-year-old bomber ended up killing himself with his last explosive device amid a police chase just hours after recording a 25-minute confession video without explanation of why his victims were targeted.
