Christmas morning in Nashville was interrupted by an emergency evacuation before an explosion ripped through several city blocks. No deaths have yet been reported thanks to the efforts of the Nashville police.
Summary
An explosion rocked downtown Nashville on Christmas morning, sending debris several blocks and causing major damage to buildings.
- After responding to a report of gunshots, Nashville police found a recreational vehicle playing a pre-recorded message saying a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes.
- The FBI is taking the lead on the investigation while authorities are saying it was an “intentional act.”
- Local authorities are breathing a small sigh of relief as it appears the blast caused no casualties with only three injuries, all non-life-threatening.
- Reuters reports Nashville police officers quickly went door to door to evacuate the area, saving countless lives.
- Journalist and Twitter aficionado Yashar Ali reported on a Twitter account recently created and having only a single tweet of what appears to be security camera footage with audio of the moments leading up to the blast.
- Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed to reporters that tissue indicating human remains has been recovered at the scene of the explosion.
- President Trump and President-elect Biden were briefed on the situation, with both praising first responders in statements.
- CNN relayed first-person accounts of those living in the area, with one witness laughing at the irony of wanting to “spend all day Christmas in my pajamas” after being evacuated before dawn in her pajamas.
- The New York Times noted that area of Nashville, which was hit by a tornado earlier this year, is typically crowded and that the time of day the blast occurred limited casualties.
- Buzzfeed News emphasized law enforcement currently has found no motive nor do they have any suspects, noting the FBI’s urgent request for assistance from the public.
- Fox News hailed a half dozen Nashville police officers, most of whom have less than a few years of experience on the force, as heroes for their quick actions to evacuate the area and save many lives.
- Reporting by the Wall Street Journal made several mentions of the explosion’s proximity to an AT&T building, the damage to which disrupted communications in much of Nashville, including the airport.
- Breitbart was the only outlet to report on criticism of Nashville’s Mayor John Cooper for “joking about the incident” during a press conference.
© Dallas Gerber, 2020