NASHVILLE EXPLOSION: POSSIBLE HUMAN REMAINS FOUND NEAR SITE, MOTIVE UNCLEAR

Sat 26 December 2020:

Three people were injured and hospitalized Friday, early Christmas morning, in a massive explosion in downtown Nashville in the US southern state of Tennessee in what is believed to be an intentional act, according to authorities.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper ordered a curfew imposed around the blast site through the holiday weekend as FBI investigators comb the scene, though police said they were aware of no further threats to Tennessee’s most populous city.

The blast came just moments after officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area and discovered the recreational vehicle parked outside an AT&T office tower in downtown Nashville at about 6 a.m. CST (1200 GMT).

witness to gunfire prior to explosion #Nashville pic.twitter.com/wsljK9k2QF

— yw⛰️ (@thankscinco5) December 25, 2020

Police heard a recorded voice warning that a “bomb would detonate in 15 minutes,” Nashville Police Chief John Drake told reporters.

The message, as captured in a recording broadcast later by local television news stations, said: “This area must be evacuated now. This area must be evacuated now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now.”

Nashville explosion:

“If you can hear this message – evacuate now.”

omg…pic.twitter.com/xWZDgnEhmg

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) December 25, 2020

The six @MNPDNashville heroes that did not run away when they heard bomb, they ran forward,evacuating civilians and saving lives. Some still in the kill zone when the VBIED went off.

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. #nashvillebombing #NashvilleStrong #Nashville #NashvilleCarBomb pic.twitter.com/MEobEY8Vwj

— 7Element (@7Element6) December 26, 2020

“Officers, upon hearing that, decided to evacuate the buildings nearby. So they began knocking on doors, making announcements, having emergency communications with everyone to get people safe,” Nashville Police Chief John Drake told the press.

“Shortly after that, the RV exploded. We had one officer that was knocked to the ground. Another officer is fine,” Drake added.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper said on Twitter MNPD confirmed that the source of the explosion came from a vehicle, adding the force of the explosion knocked an officer to the ground, damaging at least 20 buildings.

“MNPD, FBI & ATF investigating the 6:30 a.m. explosion on 2nd Ave N linked to a vehicle. This appears to have been an intentional act. Law enforcement is closing downtown streets as investigation continues,” MNPD said on Twitter.

It added that canine teams are doing protective sweeps in the downtown area where traffic is restricted.

An area resident identified on CNN as Betsy Williams told the network she was awakened by the sound of gunfire and looked out her window to see an RV parked across the street as it began playing a message delivered by a “computerized” female voice. She said the voice warned the vehicle contained a bomb and started a minute-by-minute countdown to the actual explosion.

“Everything shook, it was quite a blast,” she told CNN.

The fiery blast destroyed a number of other vehicles parked nearby, shattered windows and severely damaged several adjacent buildings, sending a pall of black smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles. The mayor said 41 businesses in all sustained material damage.

At an early evening briefing, Drake, the police chief, told reporters there were “no fatalities we know of,” but said investigators were examining “tissue that we believe could be human remains” found in the vicinity of the blast.

Police said they had not ascertained whether anyone was in the motor home when it exploded.

Andrew McCabe, a former deputy FBI director, told CNN an explosion the size of Friday’s blast would be investigated as a possible act of terrorism, whether domestic or international.

Police offered no explanation as to a possible motive, but McCabe said law enforcement may have been the target of the explosion given police were called to the scene beforehand.

Nashville’s vice mayor, Jim Shulman, told CNN the incident appeared to have been a solitary act, and police said they saw no ongoing threat, though bomb-sniffing dogs were being led through the downtown area as a precaution.

The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation, and it will be working in conjunction with state and local authorities, its spokesman Joel Siskovic said.

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