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The FBI is investigating the “mystery” surrounding the motive for the explosion of a potential bomb in a mobile home on the streets of downtown Nashville, which shook the largest city in Tennessee, United States, on Friday morning, day of Christmas. Authorities continue to investigate the wreckage for clues and have found possible remains, but it is not yet clear whether or how these are related to the explosion that caused three minor injuries.
According to the newspaper “The Guardian”, this Saturday possible human remains were found near the site where the motorhome exploded, causing serious damage in the historic center of Nashville.
Authorities were called for a firefighting incident Friday morning, but they found a motor home with a recording saying a potential bomb would go off in 15 minutes, Nashville Metropolitan Police Chief John Drake said. The police evacuated the place and, “shortly after, the motorhome exploded,” said the official at a press conference.
Police believe the blast was intentional, but the motive or purpose is still unknown. John Drake revealed that authorities had received no threats prior to the explosion.
The police chief also added that investigators at the scene “found a biological tissue that they believe may be remains” but will “examine” it. Authorities did not say if the remains could be someone inside the motorhome.
The three people who were taken to hospitals in the region for treatment were in stable condition Friday night, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said.
“The attack this morning [sexta-feira] our community aimed to create chaos and fear in this time of peace and hope. But Nashville residents have repeatedly shown that the spirit of our city cannot be broken, “Cooper said at a news conference after issuing a recall warning for the area.
AT&T building as a possible target
The explosion caused smoke in an area known as the tourist heart of this North American city for being full of bars, restaurants and other commercial establishments. The incident generated debris over a “wide area” and shook buildings and smashed windows even on the streets furthest from the blast.
On Saturday morning, teams of experts continued to collect debris from a wide area of the blast site. Damage to an AT&T building has led to speculation that this could be the target of the attack.
“We don’t know if this was a coincidence or if that was the intention,” said police spokesman Don Aaron, adding that some people were taken to the department’s police station for questioning, but they declined to elaborate.
AT&T said the affected building is the main office of a telephone exchange, complete with network equipment. The blast disrupted service, but the company declined to disclose the extent of the disruptions.
The AT&T website had service issues in central Tennessee and Kentucky. Several law enforcement agencies reported that their emergency systems were down due to the outage.
AT&T also said it is working with authorities to gain access and repair the equipment. The company noted that “energy is essential to restore” service.
The US Federal Aviation Administration temporarily suspended flights from the Nashville airport due to telecommunications problems associated with the explosion.
Now the FBI will take over the investigation, agency spokesman Joel Siskovic said. Federal investigators from the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also present. The FBI is the primary authority responsible for investigating federal crimes, such as explosions and acts of terrorism.
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