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Verify: Some Austin explosion claims proven false

Some rumors regarding the fourth Austin explosion have been proven untrue.

AUSTIN -- As more explosions happen around Austin, it’s an easy reaction to jump on social media and see what others are saying. That action come with risks though. Rumors, facts and lies often get jumbled together making it hard to know what’s actually going on.

Throughout this investigation, KVUE will be verifying and questions, claims or rumors the community is curious about -- starting with a few tonight.

APD sent emergency alerts to the wrong people - Verified

Multiple commenters on Nextdoor.com shared their concern on Sunday night about emergency alerts APD had sent out. The message read: “Austin Police is working incident in your area. Please remain in your home at this time.”

The problem claimed on social media? That APD had sent those alerts to people across the city, not just those living in the Travis Country neighborhood.

“Ok, I’m worried,” one Nextdoor user who lived near the explosion wrote. “Didn’t get the alert. Wondering if we should just stay in.”

“I wish we had more info,” a user who didn't live nearby wrote. “Now I can’t sleep.”

APD Interim Police Chief Brian Manley confirmed Monday that those comments were true. He explained that their reverse 9-1-1 process had a “glitch” and sent messages across the city. They were intended only for the residents of the Travis Country neighborhood, he added.

The fourth explosive was wired to a “for-sale” sign - Half Verified

Comments on sites like Reddit.com and others frequently mentioned a “fake for-sale” sign on Monday.

Some bigger outlets, including the Washington Post, reported the same.

The problem? None of the officials who spoke at press conferences Monday explicitly said it was a for-sale sign. Interim Chief Manley and ATF officials both insisted on not identifying the device to make sure that “everyone has an open mind.”

KVUE’s Jason Puckett reached out to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for clarification.

“It was some type of sign,” ATF spokeswoman Nicole Strong confirmed. “But I can’t say for sure what type it was.”

It’s not clear when APD, ATF or FBI officials will officially confirm the type of sign.

Tripwire ran across the road - False

Posts on Reddit.com had titles claiming that the “latest bomb was set off by tripwire across the road.”

Commenters were initially asking how a car hadn’t set off the explosive.

APD later confirmed that the tripwire ran only from the sign to the ground, next to the road. Some articles, including the Reddit post linked above, have since corrected their claims.

No video recordings - False

Many comments across social media have echoed one user on Facebook who wrote: “There’s cameras everywhere and still can’t find this loser? Come on guys.”

Monday, a neighbor shared Nest cam footage with media outlets across Austin that has audio of the explosion but no video .

While there are no publicly known video recordings of the explosives being planted, or the explosions themselves, there have been recordings provided from nearby locations in a few.

Also, as Interim Chief Manley said Monday, APD are still hopeful that more recordings do exist.

“If you live in Travis Country and have video surveillance on your home, please contact us,” he said.

If you have any tips, questions, rumors or gossip you’d like KVUE to verify, email the news staff at news@kvue.com.

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