Austin, Texas, has been riddled with fear and speculation following a series of three bombings within 10 days that officials suspect to be somehow linked.

On Friday, March 2, a package that was noted to be not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, or the like, arrived on the front porch of one Austin home, but it ended up containing a bomb that would kill 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House. It was considered an isolated event, and no further speculation was brought up until ten days later.

On Monday, March 12, the fourth day of the annual South by Southwest Film Interactive Media and Music Festival, which brings in around 50,000 people to Austin, Texas, an almost identical incident occurred in another Austin home. An unusual package was brought inside where it promptly exploded as the bomb detonated, and 17-year-old Draylen Mason was killed while a 40-year-old woman was injured. Just a few hours later, during a news conference to discuss this attack, another bombing was reported. This time injuring a 75-year-old Esperanza Herrera.

While no exact suspect has been identified, it is evident that the crimes were connected and were potentially motivated by race, as the House and Mason families have a long history together and were both involved in the historically black Wesley United Methodist Church. 

In the wake of all of this, the American public seems to have become increasingly cautious about objects near their homes, and rightfully so. In fact, the police have reported more than 150 calls about suspicious packages left outside their houses. Officials continue to warn civilians against opening unmarked, unanticipated, or otherwise suspicious packages received in the mail.