A suspicious vehicle that was under surveillance by police exploded Christmas morning in a section of downtown Nashville, injuring three and shattering windows while rattling homes and businesses for blocks.
In addition to local police, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and and Explosives (ATF) are also investigating the incident which authorities believe was an “intentional act.”
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“This appears to have been an intentional act,” the Metro Nashville Police Department tweeted. “Law enforcement is closing downtown streets as investigation continues.
Added police spokesman Don Aaron: “We do believe this to have been an intentional act,” Aaron said. “Significant damage has been done to the infrastructure there on 2nd Avenue North.”
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Added police spokesman Don Aaron: “We do believe this to have been an intentional act,” Aaron said. “Significant damage has been done to the infrastructure there on 2nd Avenue North.”
Officers first responded to the area after receiving a report of shots fired. They called in the bomb squad after seeing the suspicious vehicle, which later exploded.
As of late Friday morning, police did not know if anyone had been inside the vehicle at the time of the explosion, and they were not yet able to confirm that shots were actually fired.
The investigation is now being led by the FBI’s Memphis field office, and a spokesperson for the Department of Justice said Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen “directed that all DOJ resources be made available to assist in the investigation.”
“Right now, it’s a public safety concern, to make sure everybody is accounted for and to make sure the spread of the fire doesn’t go any further,” Michael Knight, a spokesman for the ATF in Nashville, told The Associated Press.
Witnesses living nearby reported having windows blown out and homes shaken by the blast.
Separately, Fox News reported that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident and that he “will continue to receive regular updates,” according to White House spokesman Judd Deere.
There were no known credible threats in the Nashville area that would have signaled an impending attack on or before Christmas, a federal law enforcement source told CNN.
A second law enforcement source said federal authorities are not aware of any increased chatter nationally by known extremist groups that would indicate any credible plans for conducting attacks around the holidays.
Acting US Attorney General Jeff Rosen was briefed on the incident early this morning, according to his spokesman, “and directed that all DOJ resources be made available to assist in the investigation.”
It’s not clear why police believed the vehicle was suspicious.
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Prior to the explosion, police had been going door-to-door and apartment-to-apartment to tell residents of the situation. Officials at this hour do not know if anyone was inside the vehicle when it exploded. They also are not aware of any additional threats at the moment.
This is a breaking story. We will update on our website as more details become available. Be sure to check back.
