Law enforcement authorities on Sunday identified the individual behind the Christmas morning bombing in Nashville, numerous sources reported.
Anthony Q. Warner, 63, was identified as the lone bomber after DNA at the scene was matched to samples taken at another location that investigators searched, U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran announced Sunday, the Tennessean reported.
“Anthony Warner is the bomber. He was present when the bomb went off, and he perished in the bombing,” Cochran said, according to the Tennessean.
#Nashville NEW: Law enforcement official tells @CBSNews the @FBI flew tissue sample to its Quantico Va lab for DNA analysis. The TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) also tested a sample. Both DNA tests matched Anthony Quinn. Officials said no indications yet others involved
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) December 28, 2020
Authorities do not believe anyone else was involved in the explosion besides Warner after reviewing hours of surveillance footage, which only showed Warner. Tips from the public helped lead investigators to Warner, who was not known to authorities prior to the explosion.
Authorities have called the incident an “intentional” act and are continuing to investigate a motive. They are also investigating what type of explosives were used in the bombing.
One of Warner’s former employers, Steve Fridrich, called the bombing “out of character,” and told the Tennessean that Warner had worked as a contract laborer in computer consulting for his company, Fridrich & Clark Realty.
In December, Warner told the company he’d no longer be working for them, but didn’t provide a reason why, Fridrich said.
Authorities attached to multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies followed a tip to a home Warner reportedly owned in the Nashville suburb of Antioch on Saturday. (RELATED: FBI Searching Nashville Home In Connection With Christmas Morning Blast)
“These answers won’t come quickly and will still require a lot of our team’s effort,” FBI Special Agent for Public Affairs Doug Korneski said, according to USA Today. “None of those answers will ever be enough for those who have been affected by this event. We still have work to do.”
No fatalities were reported in the Christmas morning explosion outside of an AT&T building, but three people were injured and dozens of buildings were damaged by the blast that came from an RV.
Communications systems in Tennessee and in surrounding states were also impacted by the explosion.