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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 28 deceMber 2020

U.S. officials: Suspect in Nashville explosion died in blast

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, MI- smoke and flames bil-
CHAEL BALSAMO and ERIC lowing from the heart of
TUCKER downtown Nashville’s tour-
Associated Press ist scene, an area packed
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — with honky-tonks, restau-
The man believed to be re- rants and shops.
sponsible for the Christmas Buildings shook and win-
Day bombing that tore dows shattered streets
through downtown Nash- away from the explosion
ville blew himself up in the near a building owned by
explosion, and appears to AT&T that lies one block
have acted alone, federal from the company’s office
officials said Sunday. tower, a landmark in down-
Investigators used DNA and town.
other evidence to link the Forensic analysts were re-
man, identified as Anthony viewing evidence collect-
Quinn Warner, to the mys- ed from the blast site to try
terious explosion but said to identify the components
they have not determined of the explosives as well as
a motive. Officials have information from the U.S.
received hundreds of tips Bomb Data Center for in-
and leads, but have con- telligence and investiga-
cluded that no one other tive leads, according to a
than Warner is believed to Nashville Chief of Police John Drake speaks at a news conference Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in law enforcement official
have been involved in the Nashville, Tenn. Associated Press who said investigators were
early morning explosion examining Warner’s digi-
that damaged dozens of covered a singular motive home and the backyard. the blast, and were able to tal footprint and financial
buildings. “Nashville is con- for the act nor was it re- A Google Maps image link the vehicle identifica- history, as well as a recent
sidered safe,” said Metro vealed why Warner had se- captured in May 2019 had tion number to an RV that deed transfer of the home
Nashville Police Chief John lected the particular loca- shown a recreational ve- was registered to Warner, they searched in suburban
Drake .”There are no known tion for the bombing, which hicle similar to the one that officials said. Nashville.
threats against this city.” damaged an AT&T build- exploded parked in the “We’re still following leads, The official, who was not
In publicly identifying the ing and has continued to backyard, but it was not at but right now there is no authorized to discuss an
suspect and his fate, of- wreak havoc on cellphone the property on Saturday, indication that any other ongoing investigation and
ficials disclosed a major service and police and according to an Associ- persons were involved,” spoke to the AP on condi-
breakthrough in their in- hospital communications ated Press reporter at the said Douglas Korneski, spe- tion of anonymity, said fed-
vestigation even as they in several Southern states scene. cial agent in charge of the eral agents were examin-
acknowledged the linger- as the company worked to On Sunday morning, police FBI’s Memphis field office. ing a number of potential
ing mystery behind the ex- restore service. formally named Warner as “We’ve reviewed hours of leads and pursuing several
plosion, which took place Warner, who public records being under investigation. security video surrounding theories, including the pos-
on a holiday morning well show had experience with Officials said their identi- the recreation vehicle. We sibility that the AT&T build-
before downtown streets electronics and alarms and fication of Warner relied saw no other people in- ing was targeted.
were bustling with activ- who had also worked as a on several key pieces of volved.” Korneski said Sunday that
ity and was accompanied computer consultant for a evidence, including DNA Police were responding to officials were looking at
by a recorded announce- Nashville realtor, had been found at the explosion site. a report of shots fired Friday any and all motives and
ment warning anyone regarded as a person of in- Investigators had previ- when they encountered were interviewing acquain-
nearby that a bomb would terest in the bombing since ously revealed that human the RV blaring a record- tances of Warner’s to try to
soon detonate. at least Saturday when fed- remains had been found in ed warning that a bomb determine what may have
Then, for reasons that may eral and local investigators the vicinity. would detonate in 15 min- motivated him.
never be known, the audio converged on a home in In addition, investigators utes. Suddenly the warning Earlier Sunday, the officers
switched to a recording suburban Nashville linked from the Tennessee High- stopped, and Clark’s hit who responded provided
of Petula Clark’s 1964 hit to him. way Patrol recovered “Downtown” started play- harrowing details, at times
“Downtown” shortly before Federal agents could be parts from the RV where ing. getting choked up reliving
the blast. seen looking around the the bomb was detonated The RV exploded shortly the moments that led up to
Investigators have not un- property, searching the among the wreckage from afterward, sending black the blast.q

Reenactment of Washington’s crossing Delaware goes online

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. (AP) — An an- ner,” organizers said. vious two years, first by high winds and then by
nual reenactment of George Washington’s Normally, thousands gather every Christmas high water levels.
crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas morning on the banks of the river in Washing- Other activities at the annual event include
morning will row on in this COVID-19-impacted ton Crossing, Pennsylvania, and Titusville, New Washington’s address to his troops, historical
year, but onlookers will have to watch it via Jersey, to watch historical reenactors set out speeches and processions, and staff in period
video online. in boats to retrace the daring 1776 voyage of clothing providing public interpretation.
Washington Crossing Historic Park said the Washington and his troops. In the original crossing, boats ferried 2,400 sol-
reenactment filmed earlier in the month pro- Last year, the crossing was completed for the diers, 200 horses and 18 cannons across the
vided a “close-up view” of the event it called first time in three years with what the Friends of river. Washington’s troops marched 8 miles (13
“a beloved community tradition that will con- Washington Crossing Park said was probably kilometers) downriver before battling Hessian
tinue for years to come.” Crowd-size restric- a record crowd of 4,500 to 5,000 people look- mercenaries in the streets of Trenton. Thirty
tions barred holding the Revolutionary War re- ing on. Hessians were killed, and two Continental sol-
enactment in the “traditional, in-person man- The crossing had been scuttled during the pre- diers froze to death on the march.q