Austin, Texas police say three package bombs left outside the homes of two African-Americans and an elderly Hispanic woman are linked.
One of the bombs killed a 17-year-old boy Monday while a second one wounded the 75-year-old woman.
Another booby-trapped package killed a 39-year-old African-American man on March 2.
“We cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Monday. He also said police are looking at any link between the three victims.
Federal investigators are helping police.
Manley said in all three cases, the victims found the packages just outside their front doors. and brought them inside, where they blew up.
He said officials with the U.S. post office and large package delivery services, including UPS and Federal Express, have no record of dropping off parcels to the three addresses.
Manley is warning people in and around Austin not to touch, move, or handle any suspicious packages.
