Reddit shuts down thread from user claiming to be Austin bomber

Mike Snider | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption What we know: Austin bomber's final moments Authorities say the suspected bomber responsible for two deaths and several injuries in Texas has died from a self-inflicted explosion.

Hours before the suspect in the Austin bombings died, someone claiming to be the bomber took questions on online forum Reddit.

The social media user logged on as "austinbomber" on the site and conducted an AMA (Ask me anything) session on Reddit hours before the suspect killed themselves as police closed in.

The session, which looks to have lasted about an hour, was shut down by Reddit, a the San Francisco-based company told USA TODAY. "Based on user reports, moderator action and our Trust and Safety team, we were able to act swiftly to remove the AMA in question. The user and the content were banned per our site wide policies within an hour of posting," the company said.

More: How police tracked down the suspected Austin serial bomber Mark Anthony Conditt

The online site offered no comment on whether law enforcement considered the Reddit poster as truly a suspect in the incidents.

The Austin Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the situation.

The suspect in a three-week deadly bombing campaign around Austin killed himself early Wednesday in Round Rock, Texas, by detonating an explosive device in his vehicle as SWAT officers approached. Law enforcement have identified the suspect as Mark Anthony Conditt, 24, who lived in a community north of Austin.

Reddit users who joined in the session Tuesday afternoon — first reported by the New York Daily News — seemed skeptical that the person online truly was the Austin bomber. "hmm, kinda figured the person behind this wouldn't do something as boastful as posting to reddit ..." posted one commenter.

In answering several questions, the person cited the Zodiac killer as an inspiration and said, "I am doing this simply because I want watch the world to burn. It's not race-related like the media has speculated. ... Could you stop me? Probably not. You can try to talk some sense into me if you'd like to try. Right now I'm trying to open an dialogue with the police but they haven't responded yet. I'll be done with this when I become as prolific as the Zodiac Killer."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.