Federal officials say the man suspected of the Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville was killed in the explosion.
Officials say investigators were able to quickly identify 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner as the suspect being killed in the explosion through DNA and other evidence. They believe no one else is tied to the incident as he appeared to have acted alone.
While Warner became a person of interest in the case around 24 hours after the bombing, the Tennessee Highway Patrol found parts connected to the RV that exploded and tied that evidence back to the VIN number of the same vehicle Warner owned. DNA from Warner’s family later helped determine that it was his remains found at the scene of the bombing.
Metro Nashville Police were responding to a call of shots fired in downtown Nashville when they came upon the RV parked near the 2nd Avenue South and Commerce Street area. A recording announcing an explosion would occur in 15 minutes was playing from the vehicle, in which officers began to evacuate as many people as they could from the vicinity.
When the warning ceased, “Downtown” by Petula Clark began to play and just moments later, the RV exploded. Many buildings throughout the borough shook and some windows on nearby properties were shattered as a result of the explosion.
Communications for AT&T customers were also disrupted as a result of the bombing, with many residents and businesses throughout the state reporting issues with their cell service.
The early morning explosion caused three people to be hospitalized with injuries and damaged more than 40 buildings.
No motive has been determined in the December 25 bombing.