UPDATED: A neighbor of the suspect posting on this WFAA article says that the same young man attempted to bomb another pipeline in the neighborhood recently.
Early Monday morning residents of a Plano, Texas neighborhood heard an explosion, only to find a severely injured man so far only identified by the Dallas Morning News as “Asian, late 20s to early 40s” who claimed that he had been hit by a car. But they quickly heard hissing from a nearby gas line. FBI later found shrapnel embedded in a fence feet from the pipeline.
WFAA in Dallas reports:
Police said the injured man told them he was jogging when he was struck by a car that fled the scene. He was rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries to his face and upper body.
Investigators determined the man’s story didn’t match his injuries.
They called Atmos Energy when they heard a hissing sound coming from a natural gas pressure control station. But FBI agents and Atmos inspectors found no evidence of tampering.
They did, however, find shrapnel in the fence behind the pipes. The fence was removed to examine for evidence.
Police believe the man, who neighbors describe in his early 20s, may have deliberately set off an explosive device near the gas pipes.
Police are frustrated. The injured man — who is still in critical condition — did not have any identification. They don’t know what his intent was, nor has it been determined what type of device was used.
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