FBI Confirm Nashville Bomber Anthony Warner Died In Explosion

On Sunday, the FBI confirmed suspect Anthony Warner as the culprit of an explosion that caused widespread damage in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning; U.S. Attorney Don Cochran said that Warner died in the explosion. The Nashville police department's hazardous devices unit was responding to reports of a suspicious RV when the vehicle exploded. Witnesses purportedly heard a warning coming from the vehicle saying, "Evacuate now... A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode." The impact injured three people and damaged 41 buildings, as well as communications systems across the state. On Saturday, Gov. Bill Lee asked the White House for federal assistance due to the "severity and magnitude" of the explosion. The Nashville sheriff's office said that police emergency systems across Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as Nashville's COVID-19 community hotline, are out of service due to an AT&T central office containing a telephone exchange and network equipment being affected by the blast. The explosion received coverage from all sides of the political spectrum. Coverage from left- and center-rated outlets tended to focus on the investigation and the impact of the blast. Some right-rated outlets highlighted the lack of fatalities and the police officers who cleared the area. This story was updated 12/27/20 at 3:30pm PT to include the FBI's confirmation of Warner as the suspect.