Authorities in Tennessee Investigating Truck Playing Evacuation Message 2 Days After Nashville Explosion
Police in Lebanon, Tennessee are investigating a suspicious vehicle Sunday morning that bore [...]
Police in Lebanon, Tennessee are investigating a suspicious vehicle Sunday morning that bore striking similarities to the RV that exploded in Nashville on Christmas Day. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a parked white box truck was playing audio similar to what was heard before the Christmas Day explosion.
Deputies located the white box truck on Murfreesboro Road on Sunday and pulled it over for a traffic stop. The truck was previously parked outside the nearby Crossroads Market in Walter Hill, Tennessee — just outside of Nashville — and playing an evacuation message. The driver of the truck has been detained and nearby residents were evacuated during the active investigation as a precaution, the sheriff's office said, and the scene is still active at the time of this writing.
A statement released by Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office in regards to the suspicious vehicle that was pulled over on Highway 231 South. The scene is still active. pic.twitter.com/0AUppvaJJJ
— Wilson Co Sheriff (@wilsonsheriff) December 27, 2020
At a news conference Sunday morning, investigators confirmed that the song "Downtown" by Petula Clark was playing before the explosion in downtown Nashville. The truck had also been playing an automated message counting down 15 minutes to the explosion and warning nearby residents and pedestrians to evacuate the area.
Nashville authorities and the FBI continue to dig for information about the Christmas morning explosion, with law enforcement searching person of interest Anthony Quinn Warner's home on Bakertown Road in the Nashville area. The 63-year-old has not been confirmed as a suspect but it is the first lead authorities have followed as the person of interest.
CONFIRMED: white box truck was playing an evacuation message outside Crossroads Market in Walter Hill, TN, per Rutherford Co. Sheriff’s Office
— Rebecca Cardenas (@RebeccaWSMV) December 27, 2020
WSMV Nashville reported that an RV that matches the police description of the recreational vehicle was parked in the backyard of Warner's residence. It can be seen in photos from Google Maps, but the outlet notes that it is no longer on the premises.
Authorities are calling the bombing intentional after it damaged several businesses in the vicinity. Security footage shows extensive damage with windows shattering at the time of the blast, which damaged 41 nearby businesses. The bomb also damaged an AT&T building, disrupting internet and phone services in the area, including 911 emergency services.
Three people were injured and sent to the hospital with no confirmed casualties as a direct result of the blast. However, Nashville Metropolitan Police Chief John Drake confirmed that human remains were found at the site of the explosion.