Major explosion in downtown Nashville

[JoeMorgue]

Explosion in Nashville that damaged dozens of buildings is believed to be an intentional act.

CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/25/us/nashville-explosion/index.html

The explosion, reported having been from an RV, has destroyed a large portion of Nashville's 2nd Avenue area, and sent several people to the hospital.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

Explosion in Nashville

https://abc7news.com/nashville-explosion-news-downtown-breaking/9057334/

Explosion in Nashville, probably a car bomb. No suspects as of yet. I suspect Trumpists, but again, too early to do more than speculate.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

Beat me to it by seconds.

As I said in my thread, if I have to guess I'll say alt-right, but of course, it's way too early to do more than speculate.

I suppose the Führer will shortly be blowing dog whistles on Twitter about "passionate people in Nashville" or something to that effect.

 

[JoeMorgue]

There's no super-obvious social/political target in the immediate area. There's a scattering of restaurants (A Hooters, a Hard Rock, a few others) and a lot of downtown event parking.

The Tennesse State Capital is close-ish, but about 5-6 blocks away.

 

[8enotto]

If its the LP tank in the rv its one thing. If that rv was filled with a fertilizer bomb its quite another.

More information is clearly required.

In Mexico City about every six months someone ignites their leaking LP tank for the water heater. In a block or brick and post construction it usually does about the same damages as Nashville seen.

 

[JoeMorgue]

A portable meth lab is always a possibility.

Also, we're in the middle of a brutal and sudden overnight cold snap here on the East Coast, so some sort of portable space heater accident isn't impossible.

But the TV is talking about shots fired before the explosion and other factors so *shrugs* who knows at this point.

 

[eerok]

[quote='"CNN"]In a brief news conference Friday morning, Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said the department's hazardous devices unit was headed downtown in response to a call about a suspicious vehicle when there was a "significant" explosion linked to that vehicle around 6:30 a.m. CT.[/quote]

There's some missing context, such as what was suspicious about the parked vehicle that would bring the bomb squad.

 

[JoeMorgue]

There's some missing context, such as what was suspicious about the parked vehicle that would bring the bomb squad.

Just being an RV in a downtown area might be enough, especially if it was there for several days.

 

[angrysoba]

If its the LP tank in the rv its one thing. If that rv was filled with a fertilizer bomb its quite another.

More information is clearly required.

In Mexico City about every six months someone ignites their leaking LP tank for the water heater. In a block or brick and post construction it usually does about the same damages as Nashville seen.

A portable meth lab is always a possibility.

Also, we're in the middle of a brutal and sudden overnight cold snap here on the East Coast, so some sort of portable space heater accident isn't impossible.

But the TV is talking about shots fired before the explosion and other factors so *shrugs* who knows at this point.

Officials believe that a Christmas morning explosion in downtown Nashville that injured at least three people and damaged dozens of buildings was an intentional act.

In a brief news conference Friday morning, Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said the department's hazardous devices unit was headed downtown in response to a call about a suspicious vehicle when there was a "significant" explosion linked to that vehicle around 6:30 a.m. CT.
"We do believe that the explosion was an intentional act," Aaron said.

Seems they don't suspect it is just someone's heater or gas tank exploding.

 

[Mike!]

A portable meth lab is always a possibility.

Also, we're in the middle of a brutal and sudden overnight cold snap here on the East Coast, so some sort of portable space heater accident isn't impossible.

But the TV is talking about shots fired before the explosion and other factors so *shrugs* who knows at this point.

If it was a suspected portable meth lab, that'd bring a "bomb squad" type response too. Lots of things that can go boom there. And 6:30 am on a Christmas morning seems like an odd time to detonate a bomb if you wanted mass casualties.

 

[Meadmaker]

https://abc7news.com/nashville-explosion-news-downtown-breaking/9057334/

Explosion in Nashville, probably a car bomb. No suspects as of yet. I suspect Trumpists, but again, too early to do more than speculate.

That's kind of knee jerk, blame everything on Trump, reaction. There is absolutely no evidence of motive in this, and no obvious connection to President Trump or any political activity at this time.


I suspect Trumpists, too.

 

[Elvis666]

I had just let the dog out this morning and heard an loud sound about 6:30.

The stations are all over it. It's been reported that the police were responding to a "shots fired" call when they discovered the RV (or van) and called in the hazardous materials unit. The vehicle exploded before the unit arrived. It has been reported that it was parked in front of an AT&T-owned building containing switching equipment.

 

[Mike!]

My wife just said what I was already thinking... Given the location, and the timing, what if a restaurant owner, whose business, along with all his neighbors businesses, were in real financial trouble and got to thinking a big insurance payout right about now might just be a blessing to all concerned parties. Possible motive?

 

[cosmicaug]

If it was a suspected portable meth lab, that'd bring a "bomb squad" type response too.

Is that even a thing? Are people actually doing this because they saw it on Breaking Bad?

 

[cosmicaug]

https://twitter.com/NPR/status/1342507211457703936

Update from police:

• Officers encountered a suspicious vehicle in front of the ATT building while responding to reports of "shots fired"

• A bomb squad was en route when the RV exploded

• Officers had been going door-to-door to evacuate people nearby before the explosion

 

[Mike!]

Is that even a thing? Are people actually doing this because they saw it on Breaking Bad?

They are such a thing, police a couple communities away recently busted one. But I'm not thinking this is the case here any longer, only because law enforcement seem to think it was intentional right now.

 

[Meadmaker]

In the "pointless speculation with no real evidence" department:

There's no obvious political target, and if it's a terrorist act, it would seem that it was specifically designed to attack buildings, not people. However, the timing, of 6:30 on Christmas morning, and the report of shots fired, could be a case where it was targeted specifically at police. Fire some shots to draw them in, and explode it when they are close enough to kill. Do it at 6:30 in the morning on Christmas so that you don't harm any "innocent" people. Thankfully, if that was their intention, they apparently failed to kill anyone, though police were injured.

On the other hand, I can't see many of the anti-police sorts being able to afford an RV. Maybe it it turns out to be a rental.

An unusual scenario, but fitting with all the evidence would be to note that it was near a courthouse. I would look for a recently divorced man engaged in a property dispute over a recreational vehicle.


As I say, pointless speculation, but what else is there to do on a Christmas morning for us empty nesters who aren't having a big family celebration this year?

 

[cosmicaug]

I had just let the dog out this morning and heard an loud sound about 6:30.

The stations are all over it. It's been reported that the police were responding to a "shots fired" call when they discovered the RV (or van) and called in the hazardous materials unit. The vehicle exploded before the unit arrived. It has been reported that it was parked in front of an AT&T-owned building containing switching equipment.

I suppose if it were a different AT&T building (coastal handling main trunks), it could be considered a "Deep State" target due to association with NSA. In Tennessee, I don't think that argument would make sense.

Then again, these are folk to whom QAnon makes sense.

 

[cosmicaug]

They are such a thing, police a couple communities away recently busted one. But I'm not thinking this is the case here any longer, only because law enforcement seem to think it was intentional right now.

I guess I am not really surprised.

Like didn't blue methamphetamine make scattered appearances a bunch of years back?

 

[8enotto]

At this time its best to let the authorities do what they have to in the investigation.

But, as an interesting aside what are the alt right folks claming if they responded yet? I don't expect applied logic.