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| © Photo : Twitter / @MNPDNashville |
A blast that occurred on Christmas morning in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, injured at least three people. The Metro Nashville Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident, as local officials believe the detonation was an "intentional" act. This is what we know about it so far.
In the early morning of Friday, gunshots were heard in the downtown area of the city.
Police officers were responding to calls about shots being fired when they discovered a suspicious RV in the area, parked outside 166 2nd Ave. North at 5:30 a.m. local time.
According to Metro Police Chief John Drake, a pre-recorded warning played before the explosion. In a chilling video, depicting the incident, a computerlike woman's voice can be heard. It urged local residents to evacuate, saying a blast would occur in 15 minutes.
- Officers called in bomb squad specialists and went door-to-door evacuating people and diverting them from the area.
- The RV exploded at 6:30 a.m. outside an AT&T transmission building.
- Three civilians were wounded by the blast and admitted to hospital. According to officials, they are in stable condition.
- Metro Police Chief John Drake confirmed that officers found tissue near the site of the explosion, and police are now testing the tissue in order to determine whether it is human remains. It is also unclear if the alleged remains were from someone directly linked to the blast or from a possible victim.
- Nashville Mayor John Cooper addressed the incident, saying the blast was caused by a "deliberate bomb", and damaged at least 20 buildings in the area.
- The FBI is leading the investigation into the attack.
- US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident.
Following the mayor's address, the authorities announced the establishment of an emergency operations centre (EOC) "in response to an intentional bombing incident".
In the meantime, people have shared numerous videos from the area, showing damage caused by the explosion. Footage, depicting the blast itself has also been shared online.
So far, nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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