Christmas day 2020 was not entirely filled with happy holiday spirits. On December 25, 2020, an RV explosion took place in Downtown Nashville. This explosion injured three people, killed the bomber, caused one building to collapse and damaged many others, sparked fires, and caused flooding. Additionally, the explosion caused power outages and left many people and businesses without intern[et service, since the bomb struck an AT&T transmission building. Luckily, because of the holiday, the streets were not filled with people, otherwise the explosion could have affected many more (nytimes.com).
The bomber has been identified as Anthony Warner, a 63 year old man who had a history of working with technology, and in the late 1990s owned a burglar alarm business. As of now there is no one else known to have been involved, but federal agents have been investigating over 500 leads. The bomber’s girlfriend called authorities about a year ago to report that Warner was building explosives; her “lawyer told the authorities that Mr. Warner ‘frequently talks about the military and bomb making’” (nytimes.com). However, the police found no physical evidence and could not legally enter his home to investigate further. CNN states that, “The warnings and sparse evidence of Warner’s politics have prevented authorities from calling the bombing an act of terrorism, which by definition is an act in furtherance of a political goal.”
In the days prior to the explosion, Warner sent out multiple packages containing conspiracy theories about 9/11, aliens, the moon landing, and even a theory about the earth being controlled by “a race of reptilian lizard people” (cbsnews.com). The FBI has requested contact from anybody who received one of these packages; authorities believe that they could contain information about Warner’s motive.
In order to support victims of the bombing, the Metro Nashville Police Department has decided to host “Nashville Strong Moving Days.” During these days, business owners and residents will be able to collect their belongings from restricted areas with assistance of the police (wkrn.com).
Hopefully those that were injured have a speedy recovery, and with more time and investigation we are able to find out the motives behind this tragic incident.
