25 votes

An RV exploded in Nashville, TN around 6:30 today - police suspect it was intentional

Posted by soks_n_sandals
Tags: explosion, usa.tn.nashville, crime, vehicles.recreational, live updates, source.the washington post, paywall.hard
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/12/25/nashville-explosion-christmas/

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Title
RV that exploded in Nashville broadcast a message warning of imminent blast, police say
Published
Dec 25 2020
Word count
1102 words

7 comments

  1. [3]
    spit-evil-olive-tips
    Link
    Interesting speculation in this tweet thread from a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1342552291145117697.html

    Interesting speculation in this tweet thread from a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts:

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1342552291145117697.html

    The “evacuate now” warning is a common tactic by groups that want to destroy property and project strength to enemies (usually the state) while communicating restraint to potential civilian supporters.

    The warning is a way out of what I call the “multiple audiences conundrum” (wanting to use violence to impress your foes without looking too brutal to civilians whose support you might need). I discuss this at length in my book

    All terrorist groups face a multiple audience conundrum, but it’s especially acute for groups with no territory (who have to hide among civilians) and groups fighting democracies (where civilians have high standards of acceptable humanitarian behavior).

    Although the “evacuate now” warning for the #nashvillebombing seems unusual, we’ve seen it from past #terrorist groups that wanted to destroy property and project strength while avoiding casualties that would alienate potentially sympathetic civilians.

    “Whoever did it did give fair warning” (witness quoted by the @Tennessean). The warning reframes civilian perceptions of the perpetrators, making them seem humane, although the bomb is just as destructive materially.

    19 votes
    1. nukeman
      Link Parent
      The IRA did this a lot. I suspect that because telephones are more easily tracked these days, the loudspeaker was easier to use. As far as motivation, my “hot take” is that the bombing is just a...

      The IRA did this a lot. I suspect that because telephones are more easily tracked these days, the loudspeaker was easier to use.

      As far as motivation, my “hot take” is that the bombing is just a distraction, for variously either a cyber operation, a heist, or a murder.

      7 votes
    2. knocklessmonster
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      The only thing I could frame it as is that the individual would try to use this as a way to get out of trouble when ultimately apprehended to try to dodge any claims they intended to harm civilians.

      The only thing I could frame it as is that the individual would try to use this as a way to get out of trouble when ultimately apprehended to try to dodge any claims they intended to harm civilians.

      4 votes
  2. soks_n_sandals
    Link
    This is pretty wild to see on Christmas day. It's already been such a hard year, but no confirmed fatalities yet, which is a bit of a silver lining. My heart goes out to Nashville today.

    This is pretty wild to see on Christmas day. It's already been such a hard year, but no confirmed fatalities yet, which is a bit of a silver lining. My heart goes out to Nashville today.

    10 votes
  3. [3]
    RapidEyeMovement
    Link
    Girlfriend warned Nashville police Anthony Warner was building bomb a year ago, report shows

    Girlfriend warned Nashville police Anthony Warner was building bomb a year ago, report shows

    Sixteen months before Anthony Quinn Warner's RV exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning, officers visited his home in Antioch after his girlfriend reported that he was making bombs in the vehicle, according to documents obtained by The Tennessean. ....In an interview Tuesday night, Throckmorton told The Tennessean he urged police at the time to look into the woman's claim. He said she feared for her safety, believing Warner may harm her.

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      soks_n_sandals
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      .. ... The police reported up, and the FBI and DoD didn't have anything on Warner. Then, Based on this article, it sounds to me like the police were doing their due diligence and took the threats...

      In an interview Tuesday night, Throckmorton [the woman's attorney] told The Tennessean he urged police at the time to look into the woman's claim. He said she feared for her safety, believing Warner may harm her.

      ..

      Police then went to Warner's home, but he didn't answer the door after they knocked several times. Officers saw his RV behind the house, but the vehicle was fenced off and police were unable to see inside of it, the report said. While there, police noted that there were "several security cameras and wires attached to a alarm sign on the front door."

      ...

      The officers notified supervisors and detectives about the incident. "They saw no evidence of a crime and had no authority to enter his home or fenced property," Aaron said of officers' unsuccessful attempt to make contact with Warner or look inside the RV.

      The police reported up, and the FBI and DoD didn't have anything on Warner. Then,

      During the week of August 26, 2019, police called Throckmorton, who declined to allow police to interview Warner or go on Warner's property, the FBI told The Tennessean.

      Based on this article, it sounds to me like the police were doing their due diligence and took the threats seriously. Then, for an unknown reason, the attorney blocked them from doing anything further. (Pointed out by @RapidEyeMovement: not unknown. I thought I hit the bottom of the article, but there was more to read.)

      Edit:
      I want to add that this doesn't seem like terrorism cases where the government was alerted and failed to intervene. Here, it sounds like they tried, were blocked from doing anything by the attorney, and then this happened. I'm speculating now, but perhaps the FBI was monitoring any online presence? Trying to find a valid reason to search the property? I mean, I don't know how a threat of bomb making doesn't get a warrant, but I'm not a legal professional. Or, perhaps the police failed here because, according to the article:

      According to the police report and Throckmorton, the woman was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time. Officers called their mobile crisis division, and after talking with the woman, she agreed to be transported by ambulance for a psychological evaluation, Aaron said.

      and then they failed to do any more significant action on the premise that the claims couldn't be substantiated further? These are all questions that will hopefully be answered by official channels, but are again, all speculation.

      3 votes
      1. RapidEyeMovement
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I am with you on most of this, but this last part. Throckmorton, the Attorney, basically says that they are full of shit with his response and he gives his reason why they are full of shit. It is...

        I am with you on most of this, but this last part.

        Then, for an unknown reason, the attorney blocked them from doing anything further.

        Throckmorton, the Attorney, basically says that they are full of shit with his response and he gives his reason why they are full of shit. It is couched in Attorney speak, but that is what he is saying. Besides at this point he was acting as the Girlfriend Attorney not the Warner and had no legal right to intervene on Warner behalf

        Throckmorton told The Tennessean while he represented Warner in a civil matter several years ago, Warner was no longer a client of his in August 2019. He disputes that he told police they couldn't search the RV.

        "I have no memory of that whatsoever," Throckmorton said of MNPD's claim that said they could not inspect the RV. "I didn’t represent him anymore. He wasn’t an active client. I'm not a criminal defense attorney."

        He believes law enforcement could have done more to prevent the bombing.

        "Somebody, somewhere dropped the ball," Throckmorton said.

        4 votes