Federal investigators are searching a Nashville home after identifying a person of interest in the Christmas morning explosion.
BREAKING: Officials tell the AP that federal investigators have identified a person of interest in the Christmas Day explosion in Nashville. https://t.co/YpOCWpTTrk
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 26, 2020
Authorities attached to multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies followed a tip to a home in the Nashville suburb of Antioch, the Associated Press reported. The home, one law enforcement official told the AP, was “associated” with a person of interest in the case. (RELATED: Audio Warning Tells People To Evacuate Seconds Before Nashville Explosion: VIDEO)
Two law enforcement officials tell @AP that federal investigators have identified a person of interest in connection with the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville on Christmas Day and are searching a home associated with that person (w/ @etuckerAP) https://t.co/JcGisWnWc6
— Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) December 26, 2020
According to FBI special agent Doug Korneski, about 500 tips have come in regarding the Friday morning explosion, which is being investigated by federal authorities as an intentional act. While he said that they did not believe there was an active threat of additional bombings, he added that law enforcement agents were “not working on any assumptions.”
In addition to damaging property across several city blocks, an AT&T central office took some of the impact. That building contained a telephone exchange and network equipment — and although it is not known exactly how many people were affected, widespread outages have continued to be a problem across Tennessee and have even spilled into Kentucky and northern Alabama.
Citing the “severity and magnitude” of the blast, Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has asked for federal assistance. Communications failures have impacted residential phone lines, cellular services and 911 call centers, and damages are still being assessed in over 40 buildings.
