Acts of terrorism in Central Texas

Central Texas is no stranger to acts of terrorism: from the man who shot up the Mexican Consulate in Austin, to the two attacks on Fort Hood.

Local experts give us insight on how the threat picture has changed since 9/11. In the next few weeks the Capital City is playing host to some big events: Austin City Limits and Formula 1. This keeps first responders on high alert.

"My legs were taken from the blast of a bomb," says Johnny Joey Jones, wounded warrior.

Johnny Joey Jones served in the Marine Corps for eight years. In 2010, he was injured in Afghanistan while working as a bomb technician.

"Think twice before you do something evil because ten years from now, nobody will remember you. But, this country will still be here and the people you harm will be heroes forever," says Jones.

Jones sends that message to terrorists abroad and lone wolves here at home. In most cases an IED, or improvised explosive device, is home-made and what we have been seeing recently.

"It's not the pipe-bomb of old that you think about and see in movies. It's slightly more sophisticated but it's also fairly simple. A lot of it is a loop circuit where they set a timer, and when the timer hits a certain time, it mechanically sets it off," says Jones.

Central Texas has seen its fair share of acts of terrorism over the years. Former State Department Counter-Terrorism Expert Fred Burton says it's difficult to stop them from occurring.

"We had our sovereign nation suspect who shot up the Mexican Consulate, we've had at least two suspects associated with Isis, in our proximity, that were arrested by the FBI Joint-Terrorism Task Force, we've had at least two attacks at Fort Hood," says Fred Burton, chief security officer, said.

So is Austin prepared for domestic terrorism?

"We're ready. We constantly train with other agencies," says Lieutenant Matthew Greer, Austin Police Department.

They train with agencies on a local, state, to federal level. But, it's just as important for residents to remain on high alert. Austin Police say if you see something, say something.

"The threat picture has certainly changed since 9/11. We're not only concerned with a large-scale catastrophic event like we saw on 9/11, but now we're also concerned with smaller-scale attacks like what we saw in New Jersey and New York," says Lt. Greer.

If you see or hear anything suspicious, you're asked to call 311. If it's an emergency, call 911.