Explosion in Nashville that damaged dozens of buildings is believed to be an intentional act
Nashville Police and Fire are responding to an explosion on 2nd ave near Riverfront December 25.
December 25, 2020
(CNN) — Officials believe that a Christmas morning explosion in downtown Nashville that injured at least three people and damaged dozens of buildings was an intentional act.
In a brief news conference Friday morning, Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said the department’s hazardous devices unit was headed downtown in response to a call about a suspicious vehicle when there was a “significant” explosion linked to that vehicle around 6:30 a.m. CT.
“We do believe that the explosion was an intentional act,” Aaron said.
Three people have been transported to hospitals from the scene, but none are in critical condition, according to Nashville Fire spokesman Joseph Pleasant.
The incident is under investigation by multiple agencies, both local and federal, including the FBI and the ATF, Aaron said. Police and Tennessee Highway Patrol are conducting a shutdown of the area for the investigation. Access from the interstate through the immediate area will be restricted, he said.
Eyewitness Buck McCoy told CNN the explosion took place right in front of his home, causing his windows to be blown in.
“Everything on the street was fire,” he said. “There were three cars that were fully engulfed.”
Police previously tweeted the explosion took place outside 166 2nd Avenue N. downtown.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper told CNN that dozens of buildings have been damaged, mostly from having glass blown out. Some buildings have been evacuated, the mayor said, but he did not know how many buildings or how many people had been impacted.
“Right now, there’s just a whole lot of glass damage on 2nd Avenue,” he said.
The street is on the edge of the Tennessee city’s hospitality and tourist district in an old, historic part of town.
Footage from CNN affiliate WTVF showed smoke rising from a fire on the street, with debris littering the area.
McCoy told CNN that when he looked outside trees had fallen and broken glass was everywhere. He saw people filing out of their apartments with their animals. Firefighters told him to get as far away from the area as possible, he said.
“There’s just nothing left on 2nd Avenue,” he said.
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