The incident comes after a recent string of deadly package bombings, which killed two black men and severely injured an elderly woman in March.
- Two men were injured Sunday night in a possible explosion in Austin, Texas, police said.
- The incident marks the fourth blast in the city in March.
- Police have been investigating a string of deadly package bombs that killed two men and seriously injured an elderly woman.
- It's unclear whether Sunday night's explosion was connected to the three others.
Two men suffered non-life-threatening injuries after an explosion in a southwest Austin, Texas, neighborhood on Sunday evening, police said.
The Austin Police Department said on Twitter that residents near the area should stay in their homes until officers instruct otherwise.
The incident comes after a recent string of deadly package bombings, which killed two black men and severely injured an elderly woman in March. Authorities said they believed at least two of the blasts were linked.
It's unclear if the explosion on Sunday night was caused by another package bomb or was at all related to the previous blasts.
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters on Sunday that it was "obvious that an explosion has taken place," but that nightfall had prevented them from determining exactly what happened.
Manley said it's unlikely police will know more, or deem the neighborhood safe, until daybreak. He said police are working to clear a second item in the area that appears to be a backpack.
Manley added that he couldn't answer reporters' questions because investigators don't yet know enough about the Sunday night incident, but reiterated authorities' message to avoid all suspicious-looking packages.
"Not only do not touch any packages or anything that looks like a package, do not even go near it at any time," he said.
'We want to understand'
Manley held a press conference earlier Sunday saying that authorities wanted whoever was responsible for the package explosions to come forward and share their "message."
"These events in Austin have garnered worldwide attention, and we assure you that we are listening," Manley said, addressing the bomber or bombers directly. "We want to understand what brought you to this point, and we want to listen to you."
Manley added that anyone responsible for the explosions could contact police through 911 or reaching out online. He added that police haven't yet determined a motive for the attacks.
The previous three explosions in March occurred in different parts of Austin. The first one occurred on March 2, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House.
House's death was initially investigated as suspicious but was later viewed as a homicide, The Associated Press reported. The bomb that killed him was powerful enough to destroy the front porch of the house, Manley told reporters.
Two other explosions occurred on March 12 — one of them killed 17-year-old Draylen Mason, and the second seriously injured a 75-year-old Hispanic woman.
None of the packages were delivered through the mail. Instead, they were left overnight on the victims' doorsteps.
Police are investigating potential connections between House and Mason, both of whom belonged to prominent African-American families whose members knew each other.
Investigators have also speculated that the bomb that injured the elderly Hispanic woman may have been intended for a different target, The New York Times reported.
Here's a map of where the first three explosions occurred:
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.