Nashville bomber sent material to 'acquaintances', says FBI

Warner, the man accused of exploding a bomb in Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas Day, told a neighbor days earlier that Nashville and the world would never forget him. Credit: AP/PTI

Prior to his death, the man who detonated a Christmas Day bomb in downtown Nashville had sent out materials about his views to people he knew, federal investigators said on Saturday.

In a statement to The Associated Press, FBI Special Agent Jason Pack said authorities are "aware the suspect sent materials which espoused his viewpoints to several acquaintances throughout the country."

Authorities have said Anthony Warner, 63, was responsible for the explosion, which damaged dozens of buildings and injured several people. Warner died in the blast and officials have not released a motive.

Read | Police should have done more with Nashville bomber tip from August 2019, critics say

Pack did not release additional details about what the packages from Warner contained but he urged anyone who may have received material from Warner to contact the FBI at 800-CALL-FBI.

The bombing occurred Christmas morning well before downtown streets were bustling with activity. Police were responding to a report of shots fired Friday when they encountered the RV blaring a recorded warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes.

Then, inexplicably, the audio switched to a recording of Petula Clark's 1964 hit "Downtown" shortly before the blast.

Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks