[ad_1]
Two law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that authorities found human remains in the vicinity of the blast that rocked downtown Nashville this morning.
Your playlist will load after this ad.
The recording urged people to evacuate immediately because a bomb was going to explode.
It is unclear how the debris is related to the blast or if it could belong to the person believed to be responsible or a victim.
The officials were unable to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Authorities have said they believe the explosion was intentional.
The blast shook the largely deserted streets of downtown Nashville early on Christmas morning, smashing windows, damaging buildings and injuring three people. Authorities said they believed the explosion was intentional.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said police were responding to a shooting report when they encountered a recreational vehicle with a full-volume recording saying a possible bomb would detonate in 15 minutes. Police evacuated nearby buildings and called the bomb squad.
“Shortly after that, the RV exploded,” Drake told a news conference at noon.
Surveillance video posted today on a Twitter account that appeared to be recorded from across the street captured an audio recording that included the warning, “… if you can hear this message, evacuate now.” The explosion was captured on surveillance video seconds later.
Your playlist will load after this ad.
Surrounding cars and buildings have been charred by the blast. Source: Supplied
Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said three people were taken to area hospitals for treatment, although none were in critical condition. However, authorities do not know if someone was in the vehicle when it exploded.
Aaron previously said that some people were taken to the department’s headquarters for questioning, but he declined to elaborate.
The FBI will take the lead in the investigation, spokesman Joel Siskovic said. Federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on the scene. The FBI is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for investigating federal crimes, such as explosives violations and acts of terrorism.
At noon, police dogs continued to search cars and buildings in the nearby area.
The vehicle was seen driving through the streets of Nashville shortly before it exploded. Source: Associated Press
A Philadelphia man who was staying at a nearby hotel said that when he heard the explosion, he knew it was not a harmless noise.
“It was a very strong explosion,” said Joseph Fafara. “We tried to rationalize it by saying it was an earthquake or something. But it was obvious that it was not an earthquake ”. He said he traveled to Tennessee with his family for Christmas because the state has looser Covid-19 restrictions than Philadelphia.
Fafara came out to see the damage, but police barricades had already been placed.
Emergency personnel work near the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville. Source: Associated Press
Black smoke and flames were seen pouring out of the area early Friday, which is packed with bars, restaurants and other retail establishments and is known as the heart of downtown Nashville’s tourist scene.
Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud crash was heard. An AT&T facility was among the affected buildings. Some service was interrupted, the company said via Twitter.
“Service for some customers in Nashville and surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from this morning’s explosion. We are in contact with law enforcement and working as quickly as possible to restore service, “the company tweeted.
Your playlist will load after this ad.
Emergency services could be seen rushing to the scene from all corners of the city. Source: AP / Reuters
Some law enforcement agencies report that their 911 systems are down due to the AT&T outage.
Murfreesboro’s 911 lines are currently down. AT&T is experiencing an outage. Call 615-893-1311 until further notice, ”the Murfreesboro Police Department tweeted.
Buck McCoy, who lives near the area, posted videos on Facebook showing water falling from the roof of his home. Alarms sound in the background and the cries of people in great anguish sound in the background. A fire is visible on the street outside.
McCoy says he heard gunshots 15 minutes before the explosion rocked his building. McCoy said the windows in his house were totally broken.
“All my windows, each and every one of them blew into the next room. If it had been there, it would have been horrible, ”he said.
“It felt like a bomb. It was that big, ”he told The Associated Press.
A vehicle burns down after an explosion ripped through downtown Nashville. Source: Associated Press
“There were about four cars on fire. I don’t know if it was so hot that they caught fire and the trees were blown up, “he said.
President Donald Trump has been briefed, according to White House spokesman Judd Deere, who said Trump, who is vacationing in Florida, will continue to receive regular updates. The US Department of Justice said Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen was also informed and ordered that all department resources be available to assist with the investigation.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said on Twitter that the state would provide the necessary resources “to determine what happened and who was responsible. Please join me and @MariaLeeTN in praying for the injured and we thank all of our first responders who acted so quickly this morning. “
Nashville Mayor John Cooper said the city was fortunate that the number of injuries was limited.
