The individual responsible for bombing downtown Nashville on Christmas morning has been identified as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner of Antioch. Warner, who lived in a nearby suburb, was a self-employed IT services contractor who worked predominantly from home.

The explosion happened around 6:30 am early Christmas morning and was accompanied by a loud, repetitive warning that the area should be evacuated immediately. The warning which counted down to the explosion was in a computerized female voice and echoed through the downtown for roughly 30 minutes from an RV that was later identified as being registered to Warner. Both the RV and Warner were incinerated in the blast. Human tissue was found at the crime scene and was later identified through DNA analysis as belonging to Warner.

The computerized warning and the efforts of several police officers who walked through the immediate residences are being credited as the reason why no lives other than that of the bomber were lost. Still, at least eight individuals were treated for minor injuries, and roughly 40 buildings were damaged because of the blast.

According to reports from CNN and local news sources, neighbors described Warner as a “loner” and someone who kept to himself. One neighbor, Steve Schmoldt, lived next door to Warner since 2001 and shared with CNN, " lived there a long time and he sort of kept to himself. All we knew him by was Tony. He was kind of a hermit."

Another neighbor, Rick Laude, shared an ominous conversation he had with Warner in which Laude recounts, "I said, 'Hey, Anthony, is Santa going to bring you something good for Christmas?'" to which Warner allegedly responded, “Yes, I'm going to be more famous. I'm going to be so famous that Nashville will never forget me."

Authorities Search for a Motive

The FBI, which is heading the investigation, has yet to identify a motive for the bombing. In the months leading up to the bombing, Warner displayed unusual behavior, according to investigators. The day before Thanksgiving, Warner signed away his Antioch property to an unidentified woman in Los Angeles for $0. In December, Warner told one of his clients, Fridrich & Clark Realty, that he would no longer be working because he was "retiring." Additionally, Warner sold his car and explained to the buyer that he would no longer need it because he had cancer.

A beanie and gloves that were recovered from that vehicle were what helped investigators identify Warner as the suspect.

Fridrich & Clark Realty shared in a statement with local news, "Upon learning that Tony is a suspect in the bombing on 2nd Avenue on Christmas morning, Fridrich & Clark notified the authorities that he had provided IT services to our firm. The Tony Warner we knew is a nice person who never exhibited any behavior which was less than professional."

While the FBI continues to search for a motive for the bizarre events leading up to the bombing and the bombing itself, there is speculation that Warner may have been dealing with paranoia regarding 5G. The location of the bombing has also raised suspicion as the attack was carried out in front of the AT&T building. The attack crippled the city's cellular infrastructure, and for a period, residents were unable to make phone calls to 911 or other authorities. Warner's only connection to the building was his late father, who worked for the company. FBI officials have not confirmed this speculation.

In an interview with NBC’s Today Show, David Rausch, the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, shared regarding the motive, “It does appear that the intent was more destruction than death, but again that’s all still speculation at this point as we continue in our investigation with all our partners.”

The FBI released a statement regarding the motive, which read in part, “FBI and ATF agents are continuing to recover and analyze evidence. The motive for the incident is still unclear. Leads are still being followed, but at this time, there is no indication that any other individuals are involved.”

The FBI has collected over 500 tips and is continuing to seek information from the public. Anyone with information is urged to visit the agency online at fbi.gov/nashville or use the designated hotline, 1-800-CALL-FBI.