Fox News "The Story with Martha MacCallum" - Transcript: Rep. McCaul talks unanswered questions on Austin bombings

Interview

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MACCALLUM: Trace, thank you very much. Here now, Texas Congressman, Mike McCaul, Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, he represents Austin. Good to see you tonight, Chairman McCaul. Your thoughts on all that has transpired in this case today in your hometown?

REP. MIKE MCCAUL, R--TEXAS, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Well, this individual terrorized my hometown for almost a month. And now the nightmare is over, now it's time to heal. I've been working closely with the FBI, ATF, my local police chief on this matter. I'm glad that we have justice in this case for closure for the victims and their families, but there are still many remaining unanswered questions, especially, why? I think that's the question most people are asking in Austin -- why did this happen?

MACCALLUM: You know, in terms of the effort to track him down, and we're learning so much tonight about the cell phone, site gathering information that they had, tracking these batteries online. Really, it sounds like some really extraordinary police work.

MCCAUL: I think, you know, I've seen a lot of the cases. You and I talked about the Boston bombing way back when, it didn't work so well back in that case. This is one of the best law enforcement responses I've seen at the federal state local level. You're right, this Asian battery was in all the devices that tracked us -- that's how we knew it was the same bomber attached to the bombs. But then, in addition, we have a really good technology that leaves digital footprints wherever you go with your phone, such a way that we were able to track the bomber. And the final fatal mistake he made was to walk in to the FedEx office where we got surveillance video of him. He walked out, got in a red Mazda truck, which we had leads previously had been at the scene of other bombing sites. We got the license plate tag. And then, when he turned on his phone, we got a ping and we knew that's where he was. That is when the SWAT team descended on him.

MACCALLUM: You know, any indication from what you're learning, from the people you're talking to there on the ground in terms of motive? This blog, anything else that they might've found so far on his social media footprint?

MCCAUL: That's the unanswered question that everybody wants to know the answer to. They're conducting a sweep of the home, a search of the home as I speak. They had to get the bomb-making materials out of the house. They evacuated the area. There had been robotics in. But right now, they're taking the hard drive of the computers. Any social media will be very valuable, I think, in this case to find out: number one, what was his motive; and number two, did he have accomplices like his roommates who have been detained for questioning?

MACCALLUM: Yes, that's big questions. Just before I let you go, is there any indication that there's any more boxes out there?

MCCAUL: The Austin Police Department, I talked to the chief minutes ago, they're still urging as is ATF, urging caution for the next couple of days while we can sweep the area. There were addresses found like a target list of the future possible targets. Those homes have been swept and they were cleared, but there is still a threat of these explosive devices out there in the Austin area.

MACCALLUM: Thank you very much, Chairman McCaul. Always good to see you. Thank you very much.

MCCAUL: Thank you.

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