Three days after a Christmas Day explosion rocked downtown Nashville, investigators are still searching for a motive.
Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, was identified as the bomber. Warner, a 63-year-old described by one neighbor as a loner, died when his recreational vehicle exploded on 2nd Avenue North in the city’s downtown.
The blast injured at least eight people and damaged more than 40 buildings, including an AT&T transmission facility that provides wireless service to much of the region.
Rick Laude, Warner’s neighbor since 2010, told CNN Monday he spoke with Warner four days before the bombing.
“I said, ‘Hey, Anthony, is Santa going to bring you something good for Christmas?'” Laude said. “He said, ‘Yes, I’m going to be more famous. I’m going to be so famous Nashville will never forget me.'”
Laude said he thought Warner was referring to something good happening.
“Let me be very clear, he and I were not friends,” he said. “You will not find anyone in my neighborhood who will claim to be a friend of his. He was just a legitimate recluse.”
FBI agent Doug Korneski said investigators are interviewing people who knew him to try to learn a possible motive. There is no indication that anybody else was involved, he said.
“These answers won’t come quickly,” Korneski said. “Though we may be able to answer some of those questions … none of those answers will ever be enough for those affected by this event.”
Warner’s father previously worked for AT&T, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director David Rausch confirmed Monday. He said investigators are looking into whether that may be relevant to the motive behind the bombing.
