FBI Releases Report on Nashville Bombing –
Local surveillance footage shows Nashville bomber: Google images
Staff Report –
The Christmas bombing in Nashville, Tennessee that left devastation for blocks in a downtown entertainment district and caused millions in property damage but resulted in no deaths, was an act of individual suicide and not related to ideology or terrorism, according to an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation found that Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, of Antioch, Tennessee, acted alone in building and detonating the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device on Christmas Day in an intentional act in an effort to end his own life, driven in part by a totality of “life stressors” — including paranoia, long-held individualized beliefs adopted from several eccentric conspiracy theories, and the loss of stabilizing anchors and deteriorating interpersonal relationships.
“His actions were determined to not be related to terrorism,” the FBI report concludes.
The investigative team took diligent steps to determine the reason or reasons why Warner decided to construct and ultimately detonate his device in downtown Nashville on December 25, 2020, the report says. The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, based in Quantico, Virginia, further assisted the local investigative team in answering this question.
The FBI assessed why Warner specifically chose the location and timing of the bombing and concluded that it would be impactful, while still minimizing the likelihood of causing undue injury.
“The FBI’s analysis did not reveal indications of a broader ideological motive to use violence to bring about social or political change, nor does it reveal indications of a specific personal grievance focused on individuals or entities in and around the location of the explosion,” the report says.
“It is important to note that only Warner knows the real reason why he detonated his explosive device,” it added. “However, at this time, the FBI is confident, based on evidence collected, Warner’s own writings, and interviews with those who knew him best, that the above assessment is accurate.”
Local surveillance footage shows Nashville bomber’s RV: Google images
Multiple agencies participated in the investigation in addition to the F.B.I, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Metro Nashville Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A “significant portion of the investigation” into the explosion that occurred on December 25, 2020, at approximately 6:30 a.m. Central Time, in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, has been concluded, according to the announcement of the report.
“Following the explosion, the FBI worked closely with our law enforcement partners on a coordinated and comprehensive investigation,” the agency says.
It recovered more than 3,000 pounds of evidence from the blast site, combed through more than 2,500 tips, and conducting more than 250 interviews.
“The FBI would like to thank the citizens and private sector partners of Nashville, Tennessee, for their support during the response and investigation, especially those who provided tips and volunteered their time and resources,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The collaborative efforts of all local, state and federal agencies who responded to this incident, and the hundreds of hours dedicated by their men and women, were truly invaluable to this unified effort. They exemplified the tireless dedication we’ve come to expect from those who respond to these types of critical incidents.”
