An explosion rocked the streets of downtown Nashville early Christmas morning, injuring several people and damaging numerous buildings.
Police are calling the Friday morning explosion an “intentional bombing incident.” President Donald Trump, who is at his Mar-A-Lago residence in Florida for the holiday, has been briefed on the situation, White House spokesman Judd Deere said Friday morning.
Three people were rushed to the hospital with injuries, but none were in critical condition, according to the AP.
An investigation is ongoing and both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) are involved, according to WZTV Nashville.
“Suspicious” RV explodes as police arrive
A police spokesman told the AP that “police responded to a call of shots fired just before 6 a.m. but found no immediate signs of a shooting, although officers noticed a suspicious vehicle and called for a hazardous unit. While they waited, the vehicle exploded.” The vehicle has been described in other media reports as an RV.
Fox reporter Lucas Tomlinson shared more disturbing details, tweeting, “Nashville PD says when officers arrived on scene early this morning they found RV with a ‘recording’ saying the vehicle would explode in 15 minutes.”
Damage at scene
Nashville police shared a photo of the scene on Twitter:
MNPD, FBI & ATF investigating the 6:30 a.m. explosion on 2nd Ave N linked to a vehicle. This appears to have been an intentional act. Law enforcement is closing downtown streets as investigation continues. pic.twitter.com/YOfMTaKmTH
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 25, 2020
The Nashville Fire Department also shared video footage of the damage at the scene, which included blown-out windows, fallen trees, broken water lines, and debris.
Footage from the scene on 2nd Ave North as multiple agencies continue to work and investigate an explosion from earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/5g40RhwNNl
— Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) December 25, 2020
Nashville Mayor John Cooper said that around 20 buildings appeared to have been damaged by the blast.
The Department of Homeland Security tweeted Friday morning that they are “aware” and are “monitoring the situation in Nashville.” This is a developing story.
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