The 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 comb 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 the historic core of Nashville. But it is unclear whether or how the wreckage relates to the incident.
What is certain is the bizarre nature of the attack.
Police were responding to an early-morning shooting report early in the morning when they encountered the RV sounding a warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes, Nashville Metro 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 any motive or purpose, and Drake noted that officials had not received any threats before the blast.
The chief said researchers at the site “have found tissues that we believe could be debris, but we will examine it and let you know at this time.” Police could not say if it potentially came from someone inside the RV.
Three people taken to area hospitals for treatment were in stable condition Friday evening, 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 the Nashvillians have shown 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 caused black smoke and flames to erupt from the heart of the downtown Nashville tourist scene, an area full of red tones, restaurants and shops. Buildings shook and windows shattered the streets of the blast near an AT&T-owned building located one block from the company’s office tower, a landmark in the city center.
On Saturday morning, teams of experts continued to collect debris from a large area of the blast site. Damage to the AT&T building has sparked some speculation that it was the target of the attack.
“We don’t know if it was a coincidence or if that was the intention,” police spokesman Don Aaron said. He said earlier that some people were taken to the department’s central premises for questioning, but declined to give details.
AT&T said the affected building is the headquarters of a telephone exchange, with network equipment. The blast disrupted service, but the company declined to say how far the interruptions extended.
The AT&T outage site showed service problems in Tennessee and Kentucky. Several police agencies reported that their 911 systems had crashed due to the disruption, including Knox County, where Knoxville is located, about 290 miles east of Nashville.
AT&T said it carried portable cell sites and worked with law enforcement to gain access to repair its equipment. The company noted that “energy is essential to restore” the service.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights departing from Nashville Airport due to telecommunications problems associated with the explosion.
The FBI will take the lead in the investigation, said agency spokesman Joel Siskovic. Federal investigators from the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also at the scene. The FBI is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for investigating federal crimes, such as explosive violations and acts of terrorism.