US VS TERRORISM: NASHVILLE- Investigators search home in Nashville bomb probe
The explosion on Christmas morning in downtown Nashville damaged dozens of businesses
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FROM ASEANEWS.NET:
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Authorities searched a house in the Nashville area on Saturday as they probed the large blast that ripped through the downtown of the southern US city on Christmas morning, injuring several people and damaging dozens of buildings.
The operation in Antioch came as US media reports said a 63-year-old “person of interest” had been identified in connection with the explosion, which came from a parked motorhome that blared a warning minutes before it blew up.
Some US media outlets reported Saturday evening that the bomber may have been killed in the blast, but authorities have not officially confirmed anything.
Friday’s explosion in historic downtown Nashville, the United States’ country music capital, damaged about 40 buildings and injured at least three people, with the streets largely abandoned at that hour.
Authorities were examining tissue found at the blast site that they believe could be human remains.
Police say the blast was an “intentional act” but the motive remained unclear, and FBI behavioral analysts were involved in the investigation.
“The damage is shocking and it is a miracle that no residents were killed,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said on Twitter on Saturday.
Media reports said neighbors had previously spotted a motorhome outside the residence that was being searched Saturday by authorities, and that it appeared to be similar to the one that exploded in Nashville.
No one has been arrested, but “information developed during the course of the investigation led us to this address,” an FBI spokesman said in an interview with the Nashville Tennessean newspaper outside the home being searched.
At a separate press conference, authorities declined to provide details or discuss the reports of a person identified.
They said they were sifting through more than 500 leads and tips and that sweeps of the area found no further explosive devices.
Federal prosecutor Don Cochran said the scene was “like a giant jigsaw puzzle created by a bomb that throws pieces of evidence across multiple city blocks.”
The investigation included about 250 FBI agents, analysts and other staff, said the agency’s Doug Korneski.
“We have over 500 investigative leads and we’re following up on every one of those,” Korneski told reporters.
“So there are a number of individuals that we’re looking at. So at this point, we’re not prepared to identify any single individual.”
He added, however, that “at this point we don’t have any indication that we are looking for another subject.”
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– Emergency request –
The governor toured the site on Saturday and said he had asked President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency, a technical move that triggers federal assistance in repairing damage.
“These buildings, many of which are historic, and others will need to be assessed by an engineer for structural integrity and safety,” Lee said in his request.
According to a timeline provided by the authorities, police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5:30 am, and officers spotted the motorhome at 6:00 am.
Fifteen minutes later, they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb — interspersed with music — and the need to evacuate.
Police have not said if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time but lauded the officers who arrived at the scene and took quick action.
“Instead of taking it as just maybe a threat and calling in and getting resources, they immediately began knocking on doors, they coordinated the resources to get everyone evacuated and out,” Nashville Police Chief John Drake said.
The motorhome was parked in front of a building for phone company AT&T, causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky.
AT&T said Saturday that two portable cell sites were operating in downtown Nashville and additional portable sites were being deployed in the region to restore service.
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Major blast hits Nashville after chilling bomb warning
Major blast hits Nashville after chilling bomb warning
A Christmas Day explosion caused massive damage on a street in downtown Nashville
A huge blast tore through a section of downtown Nashville early Friday, after police responding to reports of gunfire discovered a parked motorhome blaring a warning that it carried a bomb.
The powerful explosion shattered windows and ripped apart trees, wounding several people when it detonated at 6:30 am (1230 GMT) in a section of the southern US city that was largely deserted due the early hour and the Christmas Day holiday.
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Police chief John Drake told reporters there were no confirmed fatalities, but authorities were examining tissue found at the blast site that they believe could be human remains.
He added the city — known as a hub for American country music — had not received any threats, and a possible motive for the attack was unknown.
The explosion could be felt miles away and damaged dozens of businesses — scattering glass, debris and bricks as well as provoking the collapse of one building in an area with numerous bars, restaurants and shops.
In a dramatic sequence of events that shattered the Christmas morning calm, police rushed to the area after getting reports of gunshots and noticed the vehicle as they arrived on the scene.
A recorded message playing from the motorhome warned that a bomb would detonate within 15 minutes — enough time for a bomb squad to clear the area before the explosion, Drake and police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters earlier Friday.
Witnesses told the Tennessean newspaper the warning, spoken in a woman’s voice, counted down to the blast.
“Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode,” one recalled the chilling recording saying.
Pictures shared on social media from the immediate aftermath showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the burning RV and storefronts that had been torn apart.
The blast happened near an AT&T facility, knocking out phone service for many in the area. The telecommunications company said that “given the damage to our facility it will take time to restore service.”
The Nashville International Airport announced it had temporarily halted flights due to “telecommunications issues” associated with the blast.
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– Officer knocked to ground –
Officers began knocking on doors and evacuating residents due the bomb warning, not knowing if or when the detonation could come.
A dog walker had been heading towards the vehicle just before the blast, the Tennessean newspaper said, but police turned him back, potentially saving him from serious injury or death.
The blast knocked an officer to the ground, the paper said, and gave another officer hearing loss.
Both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden were briefed on the incident, which is being investigated by the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“This appears to have been an intentional act. Law enforcement is closing downtown streets as investigation continues,” the Metro Nashville Police Department tweeted.
Firefighters said at least three people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to local media.
The damage was “limited but it is dramatic,” Nashville mayor John Cooper said, adding that the city was “lucky” the blast had occurred on Christmas when few people were downtown.
“It’s unfortunate but any other morning I think it would have been a much worse story.”
Biden issued a statement saying he and his wife Jill Biden “thank all the first responders working today in response to the incident, and wish those who were injured a speedy recovery.”
Trump’s spokesman Judd Deere tweeted that the president is “grateful for the incredible first responders and praying for those who were injured.”
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