UPDATE (MONDAY 3/19/18): Police in Austin said an explosion in a residential neighborhood Sunday night appeared to be related to the three bombs that detonated earlier this month, plunging the Texas capital further into a frightening mystery that forced residents to remain locked in their home as investigators scoured the area for answers.

The blast Sunday, which injured two men who were riding bicycles through a residential area, was the latest in a string of explosions to rock Austin, which has been on edge since the previous bombings killed two people and seriously injured a third. Authorities have seemed at a loss to explain who could be setting off these devices or why, saying only that the bombs were sophisticated and could have been motivated by racial bias, although they acknowledged that this remains only a theory.

This latest explosion injured two men in their 20s in the southwest portion of Austin. While the previous blasts all involved packages left at homes, this explosive was on the side of the road and possibly triggered by a tripwire, said Brian Manley, the interim Austin police chief.

“We are working under the belief that this is related to the other bombing incidents that have occurred in our community over the last couple weeks,” Manley said at a news conference early Monday. – READ MORE

SUNDAY 3/18/18: Officials are responding to multiple reported explosions in southwest Austin Sunday night.

Austin-Travis County EMS reported the first call just after 8:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of Eagle Feather Drive, near Southwest Parkway and the MoPac/U.S. 290 interchange.

Multiple #ATCEMS assets responding to an unconfirmed report of an Explosion at 4721 Eagle Feather Dr (20:32); Initial unconfirmed reports of 6 patients “on the ground”. Assets still responding More to Follow… — ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) March 19, 2018

Officials said initial, unconfirmed reports indicated as many as 6 patients; medics are working the scene at this time. At least two patients have been identified by medics at the scene and are being prepared for transport to a nearby hospital. – READ MORE

EARLIER SUNDAY: Authorities continue to chase hundreds of leads in an effort to find the person responsible for three package bombs that have rocked Austin, Texas, this month, killing two and injuring two others.

The reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible was increased to a total of $115,000, authorities announced Sunday. The FBI, the ATF and the Austin Police Department are now offering $100,000 for information in addition to $15,000 previously offered by Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.

All the victims have been African-American or Hispanic, leading people of color in the community to feel threatened. Police have not yet discovered a motive, but have not ruled out the possibility the bombs could be hate crimes.

“We believe that the recent explosive incidents that have occurred in the city of Austin were meant to send a message,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said in a news conference on Sunday. – READ MORE