Nashville Mayor John Cooper urged people to stay away from the downtown area, as police and federal authorities investigated, aided by bomb dogs and surveillance camera footage.
A recording from a recreational vehicle emitted a chilling warning minutes before it all exploded, rocking downtown Nashville at dawn on Christmas Day and lightly injuring three people in what police described as an “intentional act.” “This area must be evacuated now. This area must be evacuated now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now” went the recording for several minutes, broadcast later on NewsChannel5, Nashville. Police described the vehicle, parked in the heart of Tennessee’s capital city at 6 a.m. CST (1200 GMT) on Friday, as an RV, a recreational vehicle of a type that could range from a motor home to a camper trailer. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the announcement warned the “bomb would explode in 15 minutes.” About the same time, police received an emergency call of “shots fired” in the downtown tourist area, said Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron.
