RV that exploded in Nashville broadcast a message warning of imminent blast, police say

The recreational vehicle that exploded in downtown Nashville Christmas morning broadcast a message from a loudspeaker warning of an imminent blast before it detonated, according to police, who called the incident an “intentional act.”

RV that exploded in Nashville broadcast a message warning of imminent blast, police say

The explosion in the city’s Arts District destroyed storefronts, scattered ash and debris through the streets, and sent at least three people to the hospital with noncritical injuries, police said.

RV that exploded in Nashville broadcast a message warning of imminent blast, police say

In a video posted on social media, which the Washington Post has not independently verified, a voice can be heard saying, “This area must be evacuated now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now.” That was followed by the sounds of an explosion, and the video of the street scene turned to a blur.

Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters that “there were announcements coming from the RV, that’s the extent of what we can say at this point.” He said that police took the warning seriously, evacuated people from a residential area, and that “we think lives were saved by those officers.”

Three people were injured, including one officer who was knocked off his feet, Aaron said. He said “we know of no other imminent danger to the city,” adding that bomb-sniffing dogs were combing the area as a precaution.

Several of the buildings have structural damage, officials said. Police do not know whether anyone was in the RV when it exploded, “so I can’t tell you at this point whether there is a fatality in this scenario,” Aaron said.

Supervisory Special Agent Joel E. Siskovic said the FBI is leading the investigation, working with state and local authorities. He declined to say whether there were any suspects.

“The main thing right now is public safety to make sure that everyone in the surrounding area is accounted for and, at the same time, ensuring that the city itself is safe from any other potential incident,” said Michael Knight, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Nashville, which is also probing the incident.

Investigators are working to create a timeline of events both before and after the explosion, Knight said.

Authorities responded to the area around 6 a.m. local time after receiving a report of shots fired on Second Avenue North. © Andrew Nelles/Tennessean.Com/USA Today Network/Reuters A vehicle burns near the site of an explosion in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day. © William DeShazer/For The Washington Post Police block off Nashville’s iconic Broadway while investigating the explosion, which is believed to be intentional.

When they arrived, Aaron said, they didn’t see any immediate evidence of gunshots but encountered a “suspicious” RV parked near an AT&T building, heard the broadcast message coming from the vehicle and called in the police bomb squad.

Officers went door to door, telling residents to evacuate, even turning around one man who was out walking his dog, Aaron said. Moments later, around 6:30 a.m., the RV detonated near the intersection of Second Avenue North and Commerce Street, smashing windows, signs and garage doors in the city’s Arts District and sending a ball of bright orange flames into the sky.

The police department’s hazardous devices unit was en route when the explosion occurred, Aaron said.

“We do believe the explosion was an intentional act,” Aaron said. “This investigation will be taking place throughout the day.”

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Three people were taken to hospitals, Nashville Fire Department spokesman Joseph Pleasant said.

“None of those transports at this point are critical,” he said. “We don’t have any significant injuries to report.” © Mark Humphrey/AP Emergency personnel work at the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020. Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard early Christmas morning.(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Photos and videos from the scene showed shattered glass, strips of metal, tree branches and other debris littering the street, which is home to office buildings and a row of bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

“We have no indication there are secondary devices. However, out of an abundance of caution, we have a number of dogs that are conducting sweeps of that immediate downtown area at present,” Aaron said. He added that police would search downtown buildings, focusing on structures along Second Avenue, to ensure nobody was hurt inside.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper said he had toured the site, describing broken glass and insulation having been blown into the trees.

“It looks like a bomb went off on Second Avenue,” he said, while cautioning people against drawing conclusions prematurely.

“This is not how anybody wanted to spend Christmas morning,” he told reporters. “We are very lucky that there were not more injuries.”

“One more event in Nashville’s 2020,” he added.

The explosion was felt at nearby residential facilities, including a hostel and a condo building called the Exchange Lofts. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and Christmas, there were far fewer people at those buildings than usual.

Windows and doors were blown out at the hostel, a low-cost residence for travelers, and the handful of guests were evacuated. At the upscale Exchange Lofts, where condos are typically owned as second homes by business executives, the impact of the explosion was recorded by a Nest security camera in a unit owned by music executive Aaron Trevethan.

In the video, the tranquil scene of couches and chairs arrayed around a flat-screen television is suddenly interrupted by sounds of a blast, which sent bright flashes of light through the windows, caused debris to fall from the ceiling, and resulted in a swaying effect captured by the camera.

Trevethan, who was at his California home when he was alerted early Christmas morning about the blast, said it is hard to tell the extent of damage from the video because “everything shook so bad.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) said in a tweet that he would “supply all of the resources needed to determine what happened and who was responsible.” He thanked first responders and called on Tennesseans to join him and his wife “in praying for those who were injured.”

The Justice Department said in a statement that acting attorney general Jeff Rosen had been briefed on the incident and had “directed that all DOJ resources be made available to assist in the investigation.”

White House spokesman Judd Deere told The Washington Post in an email that President Trump has been briefed and is receiving updates. “The President is grateful for the incredible first responders and praying for those who were injured,” Deere wrote. © Andrew Nelles/Tennessean.Com/USA Today Network/Reuters A vehicle burns near the site of the explosion.

Matt Zapotosky and Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.

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