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A recreational vehicle parked on the deserted streets of downtown Nashville exploded early on Christmas morning (local time), causing widespread communications outages that brought down police emergency systems and suspended vacation trips at the city’s airport. . Authorities said they believe the explosion was intentional.
Police were responding to a shooting report Friday when they came upon the motorhome with a recorded warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes, Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said. Police evacuated nearby buildings and called the bomb squad. The RV exploded shortly after, Drake said.
“This morning’s attack on our community was intended to create chaos and fear in this season of peace and hope. But Nashville residents have proven time and again that the spirit of our city cannot be broken, “Mayor John Cooper said at a news conference after issuing a curfew for the area.
Police said they do not yet know the motive or target, and Drake noted that officials had not received any threats prior to the blast.
Two law enforcement officers said The Associated Press that human remains were found in the vicinity of the explosion. It was unclear how the remains were related to the blast or if they 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.
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“We have found tissue that we think could be remains, but we will examine it and notify you at that time,” Drake said, adding that police could not say if it potentially came from someone inside the motorhome.
Three people taken to area hospitals for treatment were in stable condition Friday night, Cooper said.
METRO NASHVILLE PD
This image taken from surveillance video provided by Metro Nashville PD shows the RV involved in the explosion.
Surveillance video posted on a Twitter account on Friday that appeared to be across the street from the explosion captured the warning issued by the RV, “… if you can hear this message, evacuate now,” seconds before the explosion.
The blast sent black smoke and flames from the heart of the downtown Nashville tourist scene, an area packed with honky-tonks, restaurants and shops. Buildings shook and windows ripped through streets away from the blast near an AT&T-owned building that sits a block from the company’s office tower, a downtown landmark.
“We don’t know if that was a coincidence or if that was the intention,” said police spokesman Don Aaron. He previously said that some people were taken to the department’s central compound for questioning, but declined to give details.
Andrew Nelles / AP
A vehicle caught fire after the explosion.
AT&T said the affected building is the central office of a telephone exchange, with network equipment in it. The blast disrupted service, but the company declined to say how widespread the outages were.
“Service for some customers in Nashville and the 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 and safely as possible to restore service, ”AT&T spokesman Jim Greer said in an emailed statement.
AT & T’s outage site showed service problems in central Tennessee and Kentucky. Several law enforcement agencies reported that their 911 systems were down due to the outage, including Knox County, home to Knoxville, about 290 kilometers east of Nashville.
Mark Humphrey / AP
Emergency personnel work near the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights from Nashville International Airport due to telecommunications problems associated with the explosion.
The FBI will take the lead in the investigation, agency 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.
A Philadelphia man who was staying at a nearby hotel said that when he heard the explosion, he knew it was not harmless.
“We tried to rationalize it by saying it was an earthquake or something, but it was obvious that it was not an earthquake,” said Joseph Fafara.
When he went to see the damage, police barricades had already been put up.
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 along with the screams of people in distress. A fire is visible on the street outside.
Mark Humphrey / AP
A member of the security forces walks past the damage caused by the explosion.
McCoy said he heard gunshots 15 minutes before the explosion rocked his building, set fire to cars in the street and destroyed trees.
“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.
Mark Humphrey / AP
Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after the explosion.
US President Donald Trump has been briefed, according to White House spokesman Judd Deere. 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.”
The Tennessee American Red Cross announced that it was working with officials to open a shelter for the victims.
