WWE Superstar Mark Henry was personal friends with the 17-year-old boy senselessly murdered by an exploding package bomb last week in Austin.
TMZ Sports talked to '18 WWE Hall of Fame inductee -- who lives in Austin -- about the package bombings that terrorized the city ... injuring innocent people, and ending 2 lives.
Henry revealed he personally knew Draylen Mason -- an accomplished bass guitarist -- who was killed on March 12 when a package exploded in the kitchen of his home.
Draylen's mom was injured in the explosion ... but is expected to survive.
"It was just tragic to lose a kid like that, so young, and so full of life," Henry says ... "He was talented. Talented bassist. He traveled, and competed. It's just a hard loss."
As for the man behind the reign of terror -- bomber Mark Anthony Conditt, 23 -- died this morning after he blew himself up as the FBI closed in on his location.