Nashville bombing investigation questions motives behind Christmas Day attack

Megan Batson - Junior | News

After the Dec. 25 explosion on Second Avenue North in Nashville, TN, local authorities continue to investigate and release information about the bomber to the public.

The attack specifically affected the AT&T Building and several small businesses in downtown Nashville, disrupting communications over the following few days across the state. While three civilians were injured, bomber Anthony Quinn Warner was the only casualty in the explosion.

Warner had planned the attack for over a year, as a woman claiming to be his ex-girlfriend reported him to the police for working on a bomb in 2019. While his motives are not fully known, it is believed that Warner was influenced by popular conspiracy theories, specifically the existence of aliens and the use of 5G technology.

Warner’s opinions were not hidden from friends; according to AP News, he “sent materials about his views to people he knew, but investigators have not released details about what the packages contained.”

Warner’s distrust of 5G technology is speculated to be a large reason for the bombing’s location outside of the AT&T Building. The attack was not meant to hurt civilians, as the RV that the bomb was placed in was heard playing a warning message moments before.

Witness Betsy Williams, owner of The Melting Pot restaurant, reported hearing this message from the RV: “Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode,” then the start of a fifteen-minute countdown. The recording switched to the 1964 song “Downtown” by Petunia Clark shortly before exploding.

Because his motives are not fully known, many are unsure whether or not to label Warner’s suicide as an act of terrorism. This could be dangerous for the small businesses affected in the blast, as many are unsure if their insurance covers the damage. Many business owners may not be able to afford repairs if the attack is labeled as a terrorist act, as they did not sign up for terrorism coverage.

In order to fully repair downtown Nashville, further investigation is being held to determine what motives could have been behind Warner’s attack. Police are continuing their search well into the third week following the attack, hoping to further understand the cause.