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Mystery surrounds the motivation behind the detonation of an apparent bomb on the streets of downtown Nashville that shook Tennessee’s largest city on Christmas morning as investigators continued to search the wreckage for clues.
Three people were slightly injured in the blast and some possible human remains have been found near the site of the RV that exploded and caused severe damage to historic downtown Nashville. But it is unclear if or how the remains are linked to the incident.
What is true is the strange nature of the attack.
Police were responding to a report of gunfire early in the morning when they came across the caravan 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.
Police believe the blast was intentional but do not yet know the motive or purpose, and Drake noted that officials had not received any threats prior to the blast.
The chief said investigators at the scene “have found tissue that we believe might be remains, but we will examine it and inform you at that time. 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, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said.
“This morning’s attack on our community was intended to create chaos and fear in this season of peace and hope. But Nashvillians have proven time and time again that the spirit of our city cannot be broken, ”Cooper said at a news conference after issuing a curfew for the area.
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.
On Saturday morning, teams of experts were still collecting debris from a wide area of the blast site. The damage to the AT&T building has prompted some speculation that it was the target of the attack.
“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.
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.
AT & T’s outage site showed service problems in central Tennessee and Kentucky. Several law enforcement agencies reported their 911 systems were down due to the outage, including Knox County, home to Knoxville, about 180 miles (290 km) east of Nashville.
AT&T said it was adding portable cell phone sites and was working with law enforcement to gain access and make repairs to its equipment. The company noted that “energy is essential to restore” service.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights from the Nashville airport due to telecommunications problems associated with the blast.
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.
