FBI concludes the Nashville bomber wasn't a terrorist — here's why

On Christmas Day 2020, Nashville was rocked by a major explosion. The FBI has been investigating the incident, and it has concluded that it was not an act of terrorism.

According to the FBI, the bomber, Anthony Quinn Warner — who was killed in the explosion — did not have terrorist motives, but rather, carried out the bombing "in an effort to end his own life." They described him as acting out of "paranoia" and stress.

In a news release, the FBI explained, "Warner specifically chose the location and timing of the bombing so that it would be impactful, while still minimizing the likelihood of causing undue injury."

Warner's RV was parked outside of an AT&T switch facility when the blast occurred, and the blast interrupted phone and internet services in the area. But according to FBI spokesman Joel Siskovic, there is no evidence that Warner wanted any of that to happen or inflict harm on anyone other than himself. And since they found he was not trying to cause "social or political change" with the explosion, they concluded the act did not constitute terrorism.

Nashville Tennessean reporters Adam Tamburin Natalie Neysa Alund explain, "Federal agents investigated the possibility the attack might have been motivated by a political ideology or a wide range of baseless conspiracy theories, including theories related to the 2020 election and the rollout of the 5G cellular network. Siskovic said the investigation did not indicate those theories were related to the bombing."

The FBI also said that although a "significant portion of the investigation" has been completed, the specific types of explosives used are still being investigated.