Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 14 March 2018

2 families hit with Austin package bombs knew each other

two families had to a third a city of the privileged and
household where another the non-privileged,” Dixon
package bomb explod- told the newspaper. “Is
ed Monday, wounding a that the kind of Austin we
75-year-old Hispanic wom- want?” Linder said Austin’s
an who remains hospital- minority community is on
ized in critical condition edge following the bomb-
but has not yet been iden- ings. “Given the fact these
tified.Austin Police Chief people are people of col-
Brian Manley said he was or, that definitely gets peo-
aware of the connection ple’s attention,” he said.
but did not know if would “They feel vulnerable, and
affect the case. they should based on the
“Our detectives are cur- nature of the incidents.”
rently looking at that to The FBI and other federal
evaluate that lead and to officials continue to assist
see if it is in fact relevant in the investigation. Man-
to what we are investigat- ley said, “We’re not saying
ing,” Manley said. that we believe terrorism or
Business records indicate hate is in play, but we ab-
that Dixon was a leader of solutely have to consider
Austin’s African American that because we don’t
Cultural Heritage District, or want to limit what we are
Authorities work on the scene of an explosion in Austin on Monday, March 12, 2018. Two package
bomb blasts a few miles apart killed a teenager and wounded two women in Austin on Monday, “Six Square,” which the city investigating, what we
less than two weeks after a similar attack left a man dead in another part of the Texas capital. defines as 6 square miles of are considering and how
(Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman/AP) east Austin that was origi- we are approaching this
nally created as the Negro case.”
By WILL WEISSERT three blasts that killed two tin. He was friends with District by the Austin City Tina Sherrow, a retired
PAUL J. WEBER people and wounded two Freddie Dixon, stepfather Council in 1928. He also agent for the Bureau of
Associated Press others could have been of 39-year-old Anthony was a longtime pastor at Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire-
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Two hate crimes since all the House, who died in a simi- Wesley United Methodist arms and Explosives, said
of the families hit with pack- victims were black or His- lar attack in another part Church, one of the city’s the materials to build such
age bombs left on Austin panic. But they also said of the city on March 2, said oldest historically black bombs are commonly
doorsteps knew each oth- they have not ruled out Nelson Linder, president of churches. available at hardware
er and were connected any possible motive. the Austin chapter of the Dixon was quoted by the stores or online, and that
through local activism in Draylen Mason, 17, was NAACP. Austin American-States- police have been mum on
the black community, a killed and his mother “I don’t believe in coinci- man in 2015 lamenting how details because the perpe-
civic leader said Tuesday, wounded when a pack- dences,” Linder said, ex- Austin’s population growth trators may be watching
but it was not clear how age bomb was opened plaining that he was con- and prosperity were effec- media coverage.
they might be tied to a third Monday in their kitchen. cerned by the fact that the tively creating economic “I don’t look at it as terror-
household where a pack- The teen’s grandfather is families were acquainted. segregation by raising the ism, but it’s terrorism of a
age bomb also exploded. Norman Mason, a promi- Still unknown is what con- cost of living. community for sure,” Sher-
Investigators have said the nent dentist in east Aus- nection — if any — the “Austin is quickly becoming row said.q

Florida prosecutors seeking death penalty in school shooting

By CURT ANDERSON for formal arraignment tion for Cruz, if convicted, is - I don’t care,” Jaffe said ent of a deceased stu-
Associated Press Wednesday on a 34-count life in prison with no possibil- in an email. “Cruz will rot dent, I expected that the
MIAMI (AP) — Prosecutors indictment, including 17 ity of parole. in hell no matter when it is state would have pulled
intend to seek the death first-degree murder charg- Ira Jaffe, whose son and that he arrives there.” the parents together to ask
penalty for the former stu- es. The office of Broward daughter survived the Fred Guttenberg, whose what we wanted and they
dent charged with killing 17 County State Attorney shooting, said he respects daughter Jamie Gutten- didn’t,” he said.
people at Marjory Stone- Michael Satz filed the for- the wishes of the 17 fami- berg died in the shooting, “This guy’s is willing to plea
man Douglas High School mal notice of its intentions lies whose children were was angry the state de- and spend the rest of his
last month even though Tuesday, though the ac- killed and that time is bet- cided to pursue the death life in the general popula-
attorneys for Nikolas Cruz tion does not necessarily ter spent finding solutions to penalty, noting how tortu- tion. Let him do that and let
indicated he would plead mean a plea deal will not the problem of mass school ously long capital punish- them do what they want
guilty if his life was spared. be reached. shootings. ment cases last. with him,” Guttenberg
Cruz, 19, is scheduled The only other penalty op- “Live forever in jail or die “My reaction is as a par- added.q