Major explosion in downtown Nashville

[Cavemonster]

Doesn't seem unlikely. Google Earth shows he had this RV for a number of years. Using a fairly unique RV like this would not be a good plan to remain anonymous and avoid being a suspect.

I wonder if the AT&T building was of any significance or if it was just an area he figured would be mostly deserted or something else.

I think if the bomber were looking for s deserted area, they could have easily found much better options a few minutes drive away. This location is downtown.

I would be very surprised if there wasn't some kind of location significance given the effort involved in the bomb and recording, it would take a very minimal amount of effort to drive the RV somewhere far more clear of people and things than that block.

 

[dudalb]

My wife just commented move over Hercule Poirot and the Adventure of the Christmas Plum Pudding; move over Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Blue Carbuncle; this is the new champ of CHristmas related mysteries...

 

[cullennz]

Already on the internet people bitching that his is not yer solved.
I guess they get their idea of criminal investigations from the "CSI" shows, where everything is wrapped up in a hour....

I have mentioned before how odd it is that the police just either announce names and video or case details seem to be "accidently leaked" in the US.

Probably just a difference in how things work.

Here the police pretty much say jack **** till the know they have a lock solid case against people.

Makes for some pretty boring news conferences, but at least there is less money spent on locking people up at the end, not having to deal with media bias.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

I think if the bomber were looking for s deserted area, they could have easily found much better options a few minutes drive away. This location is downtown.

I would be very surprised if there wasn't some kind of location significance given the effort involved in the bomb and recording, it would take a very minimal amount of effort to drive the RV somewhere far more clear of people and things than that block.

Yeah. Nashville is smaller than I thought.

Nearby was the state capitol and other landmarks. This was non-descript street downtown with just the AT&T building and some restaurants. Probably fairly empty at this time.

Maybe it was just chosen as the center of the city. Or for some personal reason. I've read it is not uncommon for people to go to Walmart to commit suicide.

People are strange.

 

[whoanellie]

Yeah. Nashville is smaller than I thought.

Nearby was the state capitol and other landmarks. This was non-descript street downtown with just the AT&T building and some restaurants. Probably fairly empty at this time.

Maybe it was just chosen as the center of the city. Or for some personal reason. I've read it is not uncommon for people to go to Walmart to commit suicide.

People are strange.

Repeating myself:

The location is on one of the major streets in downtown Nashville and in the heart of a vibrant tourism and entertainment district. The proximity to an AT&T facility may be coincidental.

 

[Cavemonster]

Yeah. Nashville is smaller than I thought.

Nearby was the state capitol and other landmarks. This was non-descript street downtown with just the AT&T building and some restaurants. Probably fairly empty at this time.

Maybe it was just chosen as the center of the city. Or for some personal reason. I've read it is not uncommon for people to go to Walmart to commit suicide.

People are strange.

I know the block, I used to live in Nashville, it's certainly not the most packed or significant block downtown, but it's not a place you'd pick to be away from people and things.

I have no idea why that location was picked, but I really doubt that it was picked for its relative desertion. There would be MUCH better options for that very close by. You can drive to big, deserted parking lots or semi industrial areas in minutes from there. It's most likely there was some kind of significance to the location, whether it was because of the AT&T, another nearby business, or because he wanted to do it downtown.

 

[Checkmite]

I just saw a story that the FAA created a no fly zone over the bombing site, and they did it yesterday evening, long after the bombing.

Is that normal?

This is very normal. And it is the case that they do not civilian helicopters and UAVs flying over the site.

Nowadays it seems almost standard procedure for crime scenes in major cases where there is substantial media attention. There was a TFR zone for instance over Chad Daybell's home in Idaho for a time after police unearthed the remains of his step-children at the beginning of the year, if you remember that case.

 

[Meadmaker]

Someone at CBS released the name saying multiple sources identified him as a person of interest because he has a similar RV. I hope they had more to go on than that to publish a person's name.

I think the other news stations are being more cautious to avoid another Richard Jewell incident.

But the press is at the house and the FBI is inside doing a search, so that cat's kind out of the bag. But still nothing more than a likely RV match.

One thing that hasn't been released, that I have seen, at least, is whether the "Person of interest" is at the house, or if he is known to be anywhere else.

If I were a betting man, I would bet on him being in pieces at the crime scene, but that is speculation. That identity should be easy enough to confirm, although I don't know how long it will take. How long does DNA analysis take if you're in a hurry?

 

[Checkmite]

The conspiracy theorists are all over this. Presently trending: a completely phony claim that AT&T had "won a contract" to audit the Georgia election ballots and the audit was being conducted in that building in Nashville, for reasons.

 

[Meadmaker]

Yeah. Nashville is smaller than I thought.

Nearby was the state capitol and other landmarks. This was non-descript street downtown with just the AT&T building and some restaurants. Probably fairly empty at this time.

Maybe it was just chosen as the center of the city. Or for some personal reason. I've read it is not uncommon for people to go to Walmart to commit suicide.

People are strange.

The first link in this thread said it was across the street from the county courthouse. Was that not the case?

ETA: Did some googling and google maps investigation. Not very near the courthouse at all. Several blocks away.

 

[wasapi]

Just my opinion, but I believe that suicide is behind this, and, I believe it is, in the end, about a tragic story.

 

[shemp]

Yeah. Nashville is smaller than I thought.

Nearby was the state capitol and other landmarks. This was non-descript street downtown with just the AT&T building and some restaurants. Probably fairly empty at this time.

Maybe it was just chosen as the center of the city. Or for some personal reason. I've read it is not uncommon for people to go to Walmart to commit suicide.

People are strange.

There are some people who would rather commit suicide than go to Walmart.

 

[portlandatheist]

I'm guessing it was a radicalized Trumpster

 

[shemp]

Is there any other kind of Trumpster?

 

[dasmiller]

Just my opinion, but I believe that suicide is behind this, and, I believe it is, in the end, about a tragic story.

With the limited information available, that would be my guess as well. The location may well have been one that had personal significance to him (met or lost a girlfriend, robbed, had a mean relative who worked there, whatever).

It wouldn't be difficult to get me to change my mind, and we may never know much more of the story.

 

[alfaniner]

I'm guessing it was a radicalized Trumpster

Without flags and stickers on the vehicle? I doubt that.

 

[Checkmite]

The air conditioner on top appears to be different, but that could have been recently replaced.

The A/C unit looks identical to me.

Also, the black side mirrors appear to be after market. I cannot find any examples of such mirrors on a Chateau.

Indeed; but, they are consistent between the RV that exploded and the RV at the suspect's house.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

The A/C unit looks identical to me.

Perhaps. I don't know enough to make a good judgment.

Indeed; but, they are consistent between the RV that exploded and the RV at the suspect's house.

Sorry. That was the point I was trying to make. Those aren't standard mirrors. They match both vehicles. The mirrors are a very specific item that matches.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Just my opinion, but I believe that suicide is behind this, and, I believe it is, in the end, about a tragic story.

That does appear to be the case.

 

[JoeMorgue]

Suicide is tragic.

Suicide where you decide to blow up a car bomb in a crowded city area endangering countless lives (regardless of how "careful" you are about it) is not.

My sympathy for suicide victims ends when they start to endanger other people.