MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th December, 2020) Nashville police have confirmed the identity of the suspect in the downtown bombing on Christmas, which resulted in major damage to an AT&T data center and at least three injured people, The Tennessean newspaper reports.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed on Sunday that the "person of interest" in the bombing investigation was Anthony Q. Warner, 63. An FBI spokesman confirmed that it was Warner's home in Antioch that was searched by FBI agents on Saturday.
According to The Tennessean, authorities are yet to identify the human remains found at the site of the explosion on Friday. Darrell DeBusk, a public affairs office for the FBI, told the newspaper on Sunday that it was unclear when the lab was going to release the results of the DNA analysis.
FBI Special Agent Jason Pack told The Tennessean that agents have also visited Fridrich & Clark Realty's Green Hills office on Saturday and the company's owner said Warner had previously worked for them, and also did computer work for other companies.
On Saturday, US media reported that investigators had identified a person of interest in connection with the massive vehicle explosion that took place in Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas Day.
According to US media reports, law enforcement believe that the suspect could have been killed in the explosion, which occurred after a recreational vehicle was detonated in the street. That same camper van appears to have been spotted at the property investigated by FBI agents on Saturday.
CNN reported citing two law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation that the Nashville explosion was likely a suicide bombing.
Three people suffered injuries as a result of the Nashville explosion, which investigators have said was "intentional." Over 40 buildings were damaged in the city's downtown area, including an AT&T central office. AT&T communication systems across Tennessee, as well as in Kentucky and Alabama were affected.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper said in an interview with "Face the Nation" on Sunday that there "has to be some connection to the AT&T facility and the site of the bombing," as the camping van that exploded was parked adjacent to the AT&T building.
CNN quoted FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski as saying on Saturday, in response to a question about whether the AT&T building was a target of the bombing, that police "are looking at every possible motive."
Cooper signed an executive order on Friday declaring a state of civil emergency and enforced a curfew in the downtown area until Sunday.
Tennessee governor Bill Lee on Saturday published a letter asking US President Donald Trump to declare an emergency and provide Federal assistance to 41 businesses that suffered damages in the blast
