Nashville bomber Anthony Warner was a lone wolf who died in the blast that shook the city’s downtown area on Christmas morning, authorities said on Sunday.
As CNN reported, police announced that Warner was identified as the bomber after human remains found at the scene underwent DNA testing and confirmed his identity.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber. He was present when the bomb went off and then he perished,” said Don Cochran, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Warner had already been identified as a person of interest, with images from his former home in the Nashville area showing pictures of an RV similar to the one caught on surveillance cameras near the scene of the bombing. Police are still investigating the motive for the attack, with The Daily Mail noting that the bombing appeared to be conducted by a “lone wolf.” The report noted that he had a previous arrest in 1978, and in 1980 was found guilty of an unspecified felony charge.
Police responded to a call for gunshots in Nashville’s downtown in the early morning hours on Christmas. They arrived to find the RV parked near the AT&T transmission building, with a loud announcement warning people to evacuate the area. The vehicle exploded a short time later, causing widespread damage and leaving three people injured. Warner was the only person believed to have been killed in the blast, and authorities said they did not believe there were any other explosives downtown.
Investigators later searched a home connected to Warner. As The Daily Mail reported, Warner gave away the $160,000 home for free last month to 29-year-old Michelle Swing. She lives in Los Angeles but previously had lived in Tennessee, and told the news outlet she was unaware that Warner had signed the property over to her.
#BREAKING A major update —— “an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber. He was present when the bomb went off and perished in the bombing.” @NC5 pic.twitter.com/DwARVvxUT4
— Hannah McDonald (@HannahMcDonald) December 27, 2020
As CNN noted, authorities believe the incident was likely meant to be a suicide bombing. While no one was killed in the attack, the city’s communications services were disrupted, with stores reporting that credit card processing machines did not work in the day after the blast.
As The Inquisitr reported, federal investigators are reportedly looking into allegations that Warner was paranoid that 5G technology was being used to spy on Americans. Neighbors said the deceased suspect was an odd man and a loner, not speaking to neighbors and often seen tinkering with an antenna on the top of his house.