BILLY. THIS IS THE LATEST. CHARLIE.
Recording captured bomb threat just before Nashville explosion.
« on: Today at 06:27:35 PM »
https://www.foxnews.com/us/nashville-explosion-downtown-christmas-dayRecording captured chilling bomb threat moments before Nashville explosion
Blast linked to suspicious vehicle under FBI investigation
By Ronn Blitzer, Louis Casiano | Fox News
Hear the audio coming from Nashville bomb-rigged RV
Authorities have found human remains in the area where a Friday morning explosion rocked downtown Nashville and injured three people, an event police called "an intentional act" connected to an RV that blew up at approximately 6:30 a.m. local time.
placeholder
It was unclear whether the remains were related to the explosion or if they were of the person responsible or a victim, officials said. The FBI is investigating along with local officials and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the city of Nashville activated its Emergency Operations Center.
"This appears to have been an intentional act," Metro Nashville Police Department tweeted. "Law enforcement is closing downtown streets as investigation continues."
An audio warning was being broadcast from the RV before the explosion, Metro Nashville Police Department John Drake told reporters during a news conference.
"If you can hear this message, evacuate now," the warning said.
Officers first responded to the area after receiving a report of shots fired. They called in the bomb squad after seeing the suspicious vehicle, an RV. Drake said that officers found the RV with a recording saying that it would explode in 15 minutes. At that point, Drake said, police began evacuating buildings in the area and the vehicle blew up soon after.
As of late Friday morning, police did not know if anyone had been inside the vehicle at the time of the explosion, and they were not yet able to confirm that shots were actually fired.
The investigation is now being led by the FBI's Memphis field office, and a spokesperson for the Department of Justice said Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen "directed that all DOJ resources be made available to assist in the investigation."
placeholder
VEHICLE PLAYED RECORDING SAYING BOMB WOULD DETONATE, UNKNOWN IF SOMEONE INSIDE RV: POLICE
"We’re putting everything we have into finding who was responsible for what’s happened here today," FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matt Foster told reporters during a Friday afternoon news conference. Chief Drake told reporters at that time that he and his department "don’t feel there’s any concern to the downtown area" anymore.
See photos:
next
Image 1 of 17
A vehicle burns near the site of an explosion in the area of Second and Commerce in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. December 25, 2020. Andrew Nelles/Tennessean.com/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES - RC2EUK92BW23
"Right now, it’s a public safety concern, to make sure everybody is accounted for and to make sure the spread of the fire doesn’t go any further," Michael Knight, a spokesman for the ATF in Nashville, told The Associated Press.
Law enforcement officials sealed off the downtown area and police dogs searched the area for any secondary devices. Police said they were also searching buildings in the area.
NASHVILLE BAR OWNER: EXPLOSION 'KNOCKED US RIGHT OUT OF BED'
A spokesperson for TriStar Centennial Medical Center said that they have one patient in stable condition, and Nashville General Hospital said that they do not have any patients who came in because of the blast.
Officials earlier said that three people had been transported to local hospitals, but that their injuries were not critical.
The blast caused noticeable tremors in the surrounding area and black smoke to rise.
Buck McCoy, who lives near the area, posted videos on Facebook that show water pouring down the ceiling of his home. Alarms blare in the background and cries of people in great distress ring in the background. A fire is visible in the street outside. McCoy said the windows of his home were entirely blown out.
"I'm trying to come to the realization that everything that that place I've been living in for the last five years is completely demolished," he told "America's News HQ."
He said he was asleep and heard gunfire outside around 5:30 a.m.
"Within 10 minutes, I was laying in bed and there was just the biggest explosion I've ever, ever heard," he said. "This is not one of the Christmas' I thought I would ever experience.
"All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there it would have been horrible," he said.
"There were about four cars on fire. I don’t know if it was so hot they just caught on fire, and the trees were all blown apart," he said.
HOUSTON POLICE MAKE ARREST AFTER BAR EMPLOYEE ATTACKED OVER MASK REQUEST: REPORT
"The entire @WKRN studio just shook," the outlet's alert desk anchor Josh Breslow tweeted. "Anyone else in Nashville just feel any weird shaking ??"
Nashville Mayor John Cooper told WSMV-TV said dozens of buildings sustained damage from broken windows. He speculated about why Nashville was the site of Friday's explosion.
"We're a famous place. People know where we are," he told reporters. "And if people want attention and publicity sometimes they think they can come here to get it. It's not just New York and Los Angeles."
According to social media posts, the explosion resulted in significant damage to a building that was on fire, with dozens of people evacuated.
Singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope was one of those who felt the effects of the incident.
placeholder
"Our house shook here in Nashville," Pope tweeted. "Just praying nobody was hurt."
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., expressed well-wishes, saying he is "praying for all residents of down Nashville on this Christmas Day."
Friday's explosion damaged some AT&T facilities, resulting in some issues with service in the area.
"Service for some customers in Nashville and the surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from the explosion this morning," company spokesman Jim Greer told Fox News. "We are in contact with law enforcement and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service."
Fox News' David Spunt, Kathleen Reuschle, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
