Nashville mayor believes bomber was ‘targeting AT&T building’ in suicide attack

Speculation is growing that the AT&T building was intentionally targeted in the Nashville Christmas Day bombing as the FBI probes rumors that the main suspect in the attack harbored deep paranoia about 5G technology.  

Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, was named in local media as the FBI’s sole person of interest hours after an RV exploded outside Nashville’s AT&T building on Friday morning, leaving three people injured and multiple structures damaged.  

The explosion is thought to have been the result of a suicide bombing after it was revealed that human remains had been recovered at the scene and officials said they were not looking for another suspect. 

Nashville Mayor John Cooper on Sunday morning said he suspects that the AT&T transmission center was targeted in the attack. 

Cooper told CBS News’ Face the Nation that it ‘feels like there has to be some connection to the AT&T facility and the site of the bombing’.  

Law enforcement sources told CBS that Warner is believed to have died in the explosion as DNA tests are performed on the remains. The outlet reported that the FBI received at least two tips about Warner prior to the blast.  

WSMV Nashville said that the FBI was digging into claims that Warner was paranoid about the idea that Americans are being spied on using 5G, which could explain the location of the explosion.   

FBI agents raided Warner’s home on Bakerstown Road in Antioch on Saturday morning. Several neighbors described Warner as an ‘oddball’ and said they’d seen an RV parked outside the home which matched the one used in the attack.  

DailyMail.com revealed that the $160,000 home had been transferred for free to 29-year-old Michelle Swing on November 25 – but she claims she was unaware of the exchange.    

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Speculation is growing that the AT&T building was intentionally targeted in the Nashville Christmas Day bombing as the FBI probes rumors that the main suspect in the attack, identified by media as Anthony Quinn Warner, harbored deep paranoia about 5G technology. Pictured: Investigators dig through the wreckage on 2nd Avenue North 

Chilling video captured the moment the RV exploded outside Nashville's AT&T building at about 6.30am Friday morning

Chilling video captured the moment the RV exploded outside Nashville’s AT&T building at about 6.30am Friday morning

Speaking to CBS News' Face the Nation on Sunday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said he suspects that the AT&T building was targeted in the attack

Speaking to CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said he suspects that the AT&T building was targeted in the attack

Smoke rises around the AT&T transmission center in downtown Nashville moments after the explosion on Friday morning

Smoke rises around the AT&T transmission center in downtown Nashville moments after the explosion on Friday morning

Warner gave his $160,000 house away for nothing a month before the blast, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed. The property is pictured with a white RV used in the bombing out front on Google Street View prior to the explosion

Warner gave his $160,000 house away for nothing a month before the blast, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed. The property is pictured with a white RV used in the bombing out front on Google Street View prior to the explosion 

The two properties are located just a 15 minute drive from the street in downtown Nashville where the bomb exploded

The two properties are located just a 15 minute drive from the street in downtown Nashville where the bomb exploded

Investigators remove items from the basement of the home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon

Investigators remove items from the basement of the home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon

Michelle Swing, a 29-year-old who lives in Los Angeles but previously lived in Tennessee, told DailyMail.com exclusively that she was unaware Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, had signed the $160,000 property away last month via a quitclaim deed

Michelle Swing, a 29-year-old who lives in Los Angeles but previously lived in Tennessee, told DailyMail.com exclusively that she was unaware Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, had signed the $160,000 property away last month via a quitclaim deed

‘In the state of Tennessee you can deed property to someone else without their consent or their signature or anything,’ Swing told DailyMail.com.

‘I didn’t even buy the house he just deeded it over to me without my knowledge. So this all very weird to me, that’s about all I can say.’

However, Warner also transferred another home on Bakertown Road to Swing via a quitclaim deed last year. 

The $249,000 house had previously belonged a member of his family and Warner had only been in possession of it for five months before again giving it to Swing for free. She later also used a quitclaim to give the house to another person.   

Swing declined to say whether she had ever met Warner or whether she had family links to him, adding: ‘I’ve been told to direct everything else to FBI.’   

Michelle Swing, 29, was given two homes by Warner but their link is unknown

Swing now lives in California

Swing, 29, was given two homes by Warner but their link is unknown. She now lives in California

Swing has claimed that she had no idea that the house had been transferred to her at no cost on November 25

Swing has claimed that she had no idea that the house had been transferred to her at no cost on November 25

Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, signed the property away via a quitclaim deed to Michelle Swing, a 29-year-old woman living in Los Angeles, for $0.00, according to county records pictured above. Swing¿s signature does not appear on the November 25th transfer and she told DailyMail.com she knew absolutely nothing about it

Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, signed the property away via a quitclaim deed to Michelle Swing, a 29-year-old woman living in Los Angeles, for $0.00, according to county records pictured above. Swing’s signature does not appear on the November 25th transfer and she told DailyMail.com she knew absolutely nothing about it

According to records, in January 2019, Warner also transferred this $249,000 home to Swing

According to records, in January 2019, Warner also transferred this $249,000 home to Swing

‘An oddball who had a paranoia about 5G’: What we know about ‘Nashville bomber’ Anthony Quinn Warner 

On Saturday, Anthony Quinn Warner was named by local media as the person of interest in the Nashville Christmas Day bombing.

He was Nashville resident who lived in the suburb Antioch.

A property linked to him was raided on Bakertown Road, Antioch on Saturday afternoon.

This house was transferred for free to 29-year-old Michelle Swing on November 25 but she claims she was unaware of the exchange.

Property records link Warner to the house back to the 1980s. 

He had also transferred a $249,000 house to her for free in January 2019. 

This home was also located on Bakertown Road just a short walk from the house raided on Saturday  

The house previously belonged to a Charles Warner, his father who passed away in 2011. It was then transferred to his brother Steve.   

Warner acquired the house in August 2018, a month before his brother’s death of cancer.

Swing also used a quitclaim to give the house to a person named Betty Lane. 

Warner’s mother Chris is still alive and he also has a sister Teresa. 

The Daily Beast reported Warner was previously arrested in January 1978 and found guilty on an unspecified felony charge in 1980.

Neighbors described Warner as an ‘oddball’ who was seen tinkering with antenna on his roof and placed ‘No Trepassing’ signs around his house, especially around the RV that sat in his driveway. 

FBI agents are now said to be investigating tips that Warner was paranoid about spying on Americans through 5G. 

He used the Bakertown Road address as the location of his custom alarm business which specialized in burglar alarms.

The alarm fitting license for the business, Custom Alarms Electronics, expired in 1998.  

Warner was now was self-employed in IT and carried out subcontract work for a local real-estate agent who spoke to FBI agents on Saturday.

Warner is described as unmarried and without any children. 

FBI investigators are said to be probing whether Warner’s alleged paranoia about 5G technology could have motivated the attack outside the AT&T building.

Widespread WIFI and cell phone outages hit Tennessee and Kentucky after the the blast, bringing down local 911 and emergency service phone systems. 

The telecommunications issues also caused problems for Nashville International Airport which were forced to temporarily shut off some flight paths as a result.  

Agents also spent time searching another location on Saturday, as well as Warner’s home, and spoke to a Nashville real estate agent who called in to say Warner used to work for him. 

Steve Fridrich told WSMV that Warner was a subcontractor who had done IT work for him for years. He claimed agents asked him about whether Warner had spoken about 5G in the past but he said no.   

‘Nice guy. You know, he was a techie guy – don’t mean anything negative about that. He would do this thing and leave. He didn’t bother anybody. He did his thing and leave,’ Fridrich said. 

Officials on Saturday did not identify a suspect as the raid on the home began but unmarried Warner has been named in media reports and a vehicle matching the one used in the bombing is seen parked up beside the two-bed house in Google street view images.

According to Newsweek, authorities will swab Warner’s mother to determine if he is a match to the remains found at the bomb site. 

The second home that Warner had transferred to Swing was also located on Bakertown Road just a short walk from the house raided on Saturday.  

The transfer took place in January 2019, just months after he had acquired the house in an intra-family exchange.

The house originally belonged to Warner’s father Charles but was passed to Warner’s brother Steve after Charles’ death in 2011.   

Steve also died of cancer in September 2018, a month after Warner acquired the house. 

Swing’s address in the record for the transfer is listed as Lenoir City, Tennessee, a two-hour drive from Nashville. 

In March 2019, she also used a quitclaim to give away the house to a person named Betty Lane, according to county records

According to her LinkedIn profile, she studied Marketing and Business and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she remained working until 2012 when she moved to California. 

Swing first lived in San Francisco before a move to Los Angeles in October 2018, where she works in artist development for Anschutz Entertainment Group. 

The Daily Beast has reported that suspect Warner was previously arrested in January 1978 and found guilty on an unspecified felony charge in 1980. 

He has been described as an ‘oddball’ by neighbors, some of whom had reported seeing the RV used in the explosion parked outside of his home. 

Tony Rodriguez lives in the second home within the duplex that agents raided on Saturday but told the Washington Post that he never spoke to his neighbor and did not know his name. 

He alleged that Warner kept ‘No Trespassing’ signs around the home, especially around the RV, and was often seen tinkering with antenna above the house. 

Rodriguez also claimed that investigators had taken a computer motherboard from Warner’s house during the search.

Another neighbor Steven Stone, 61, confirmed that he had seen a similar RV parked outside of Warner’s place.  

‘When I looked out my window and saw all the law enforcement that’s when it hit me that I’d see the camper up there,’ he told USA Today 

Federal agents are seen on Saturday Warner's Nashville home on Saturday

Federal agents are seen on Saturday Warner’s Nashville home on Saturday 

The RV which exploded on Christmas morning is pictured. Police are now purportedly investigating whether it belonged to Anthony Quinn Warner

The RV which exploded on Christmas morning is pictured. Police are now purportedly investigating whether it belonged to Anthony Quinn Warner

ATF and law enforcement members investigate the Christmas Day explosion that tore through downtown Nashville

ATF and law enforcement members investigate the Christmas Day explosion that tore through downtown Nashville

FBI agents swarmed the $160,000 property on Saturday morning in their hunt for the mystery RV driver behind the devastating blast outside Nashville¿s AT&T building in the early hours of Christmas morning

FBI agents swarmed the $160,000 property on Saturday morning in their hunt for the mystery RV driver behind the devastating blast outside Nashville’s AT&T building in the early hours of Christmas morning

The house is just a five-minute walk from the second house he transferred to her in November that was raided on Saturday

The house is just a five-minute walk from the second house he transferred to her in November that was raided on Saturday

Friday’s blast emanated from a white RV parked outside the AT&T building on 2nd Avenue at 6.40 am. The explosion injured three people and caused severe damage to the city’s downtown area. 

Shocking surveillance video of the explosion shows a police officer had just walked away from site when the bomb exploding, barely missing finding themselves in the line of fire for flying debris.   

The event had led investigators on a frantic chase to determine who the vehicle belonged to.  

On Saturday afternoon, a swarm of federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were seen outside an address listed to Warner in the Nashville neighborhood of Antioch. 

Neighbors reported seeing a white RV parked outside his property within the past two weeks. A similar vehicle can also been seen on a Google Street View search of Warner’s address from May 2019. 

According to CBS, ‘at least two tips were called in to the FBI about Warner  prior to the explosion’.  

Neighbors reported seeing a white RV parked in Warner's driveway. Agents are seen at the $160,000 home

Neighbors reported seeing a white RV parked in Warner’s driveway. Agents are seen at the $160,000 home

A member of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is seen outside the home

A member of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is seen outside the home

Law enforcement officers gather to investigate the house which was scanned for further bombs

Law enforcement officers gather to investigate the house which was scanned for further bombs

ATF police were seen searching the house and removing evidence from the basement

ATF police were seen searching the house and removing evidence from the basement

Neighbors watch on as investigators search the home allegedly linked to the bombing suspect

Neighbors watch on as investigators search the home allegedly linked to the bombing suspect

A member of law enforcement returns to his vehicle as the search on the home continues

A member of law enforcement returns to his vehicle as the search on the home continues

During a press conference on Saturday afternoon, the FBI refused to identify any person in their investigation. 

They say they are still pursuing approximately 500 leads and have close to 250 agents and analysts assigned to the case.  

The Bureau is also investigating whether the blast was deliberately designed to target law enforcement officers.  

Cops had been called to 2nd Avenue shortly before the explosion amid reports of a shooting. However, they arrived to find the white RV playing a recorded announcement saying that it would explode in 15 minutes.

One expert is now theorizing that the spooky recording was designed to bring as many cops and first responders as possible into the area with the intention of killing or maiming them.  

‘I kind of think it was probably an idea to get first responders to come in,’ ex-NYPD Detective Bill Ryan told Fox News on Saturday.  

Six cops have now been hailed as heroes after the descended on the area and tried to clear out pedestrians and residents before the bomb went off.    

The blast injured three people and caused severe damage to the city's downtown area

The blast injured three people and caused severe damage to the city’s downtown area 

On Saturday, Tennessee Gov Bill Lee revealed that he has requested an emergency declaration from President Donald Trump to support ongoing efforts and relief. 

‘This morning I toured the site of the bombing. The damage is shocking and it is a miracle that no residents were killed. I continue to pray for those who sustained injuries from the blast,’ he wrote on Twitter. 

It comes as Nashville police confirmed that they are investigating whether human remains have been found at the site of the bomb blast. 

According to CNN, tissue was discovered at the scene, and forensic experts are now working to determine whether it is human. 

It is unclear whether anybody was inside the RV at the time it detonated. 

The gigantic blast caused damage to more than 40 buildings, with new videos showing the widespread impact it created. 

One shocking clip shared on social media shows an apartment building violently shaking during the blast. 

A resident told CNN on Saturday: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. It shook everything’

Meanwhile, other videos being shared widely on social media show people hiding for cover in buildings along 2nd Avenue as they were warned by cops that the RV could explode.  

One man was walking his dog right by the RV and heard the warning message emanating from the vehicle. 

Quick thinking cops quickly told him to get back just before the bomb went off. He told WKRN that it is a ‘Christmas miracle’ he is still alive. 

One man was walking his dog right by the RV and heard the warning message emanating from the vehicle. He is seen in a lobby on the city's downtown area just before the blast

One man was walking his dog right by the RV and heard the warning message emanating from the vehicle. He is seen in a lobby on the city’s downtown area just before the blast

Quick thinking cops quickly told him to get back just before the bomb went off. He told WKRN that it is a 'Christmas miracle' he is still alive.

Quick thinking cops quickly told him to get back just before the bomb went off. He told WKRN that it is a ‘Christmas miracle’ he is still alive.

This was the scene immediately after the explosion on Friday morning in downtown Nashville

This was the scene immediately after the explosion on Friday morning in downtown Nashville

On Saturday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration  classified the airspace over the site of the bombing as ‘National Defense Airspace’. 

The order prohibits pilots from flying over the site and a surrounding area of one nautical mile. The restriction will stay in place until December 30. 

Meanwhile, the area on the ground has still been cordoned off and there is a strong police presence.

Nashville Mayor Cooper said it will be ‘some time’ before 2nd Avenue is open as normal. 

On Friday evening, he  announced curfew on the area around the bomb site as the investigation continued. 

‘A curfew will start at 4:30pm, Friday Dec 25. and be lifted Sunday, December 27 at 4:30pm,’ he revealed in a tweet. 

The blast blew in windows from at least 41 buildings, according to CNN. One building is now partially collapsed. 

The RV was parked outside an AT&T facility, with the explosion causing network outages to the company’s phone and internet services. 

That issue sparked safety fears as 911 dispatchers were reportedly having trouble identifying the location of callers.  

USA Today reports on Saturday that outage issues lasted into the evening. It is now believed they have all been resolved.  

As of Saturday morning, the area has still been cordoned off and there is a strong police presence in the area

As of Saturday morning, the area has still been cordoned off and there is a strong police presence in the area

Nashville Mayor John Cooper says it will be 'some time' before 2nd Avenue and the surround downtown area is open as normal

Nashville Mayor John Cooper says it will be ‘some time’ before 2nd Avenue and the surround downtown area is open as normal

Meanwhile, more information is being learned about the hero cops who tried to clear the area after they arrived to find the RV playing a recording saying it would explode. 

They were named by Metro Police Chief John Drake as Officer Brenna Hosey, Officer James Luellen, Officer Michael Sipos, Officer Amanda Topping, Officer James Wells and Sergeant Timothy Miller, as he praised them for rushing into danger to save others. 

The officers had been responding to reports of shots fired 40 minutes before the explosion when they found an RV located outside of an AT&T transmission building which was playing an announcement featuring a woman’s voice saying it would explode in 15 minutes.  

There was no evidence of shooting at the scene and it is not known of the sounds could also have come from the RV’s recording. Cops have not revealed who made the initial shooting report. 

They rushed to get people out of their homes while the ominous, pre-recorded message played over and over again with music playing inbetween each countdown, before the van eventually exploded at round 6.40am.  

‘These officers didn’t care about themselves,’ Chief Drake said. ‘They didn’t think about that. They cared about the citizens of Nashville. They went in and we’d be talking not about the debris that we have here but potential people.’  

Despite the devastation of the blast, miraculously only three people were injured. 

They were rushed to hospital in non-life threatening conditions.  

This is what is left of Second Avenue in downtown Nashville after the explosion on Friday morning. Police have not yet identified a suspect

This is what is left of Second Avenue in downtown Nashville after the explosion on Friday morning. Police have not yet identified a suspect 

An aerial view of the scene in downtown Nashville on Friday morning after an ‘intentional’ explosion came from a parked car

The scale of the debris was enormous. All of 2nd Avenue between The entire street on second avenue was covered with it

The scale of the debris was enormous. All of 2nd Avenue between The entire street on second avenue was covered with it

FBI Special Agent in charge Matt Foster made a plea to the public for information on Friday night. 

‘The FBI stands with the city of Nashville today in this very tragic Christmas Day event,’ Foster said.

‘This is our city too. We live here, we work here. We’re putting everything we have into finding who was responsible for what happened here today.  

‘There are leads that need to be pursued and technical works need to happen.’ 

Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to contact the FBI at www.fbi.gov/nashville or by calling them.  

On Friday night, star of CNBC’s The Profit Marcus Lemonis also offered a $250,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the culprit. 

It brought the reward total to $300,000 after previous smaller reward offers from Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., FOX Sports host Clay Travis, and Lewis Country Store.  

Emergency personnel work near the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020

Emergency personnel work near the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020

A law enforcement member walks past damage from an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020

A law enforcement member walks past damage from an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020

A vehicle burns near the site of an explosion in the area of Second and Commerce in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. December 25, 2020. It's unclear if this was the vehicle that caused the blast or not

A vehicle burns near the site of an explosion in the area of Second and Commerce in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. December 25, 2020. It’s unclear if this was the vehicle that caused the blast or not