Retracing the key moments after the Christmas morning bombing in Nashville

In the dark, early morning of Dec. 25, the sound of gunshots broke the silence on Second Avenue. It was the opening salvo of a Christmas like no other, and a horrific finish to a hard year of disaster and disease. The hours ahead brought heroism and heartache. Two weeks later, Nashville is still reeling as another massive recovery effort gets underway.

1:22 a.m.

Anthony Quinn Warner parks his RV on Second Avenue. 

4:30 a.m.

Second Avenue building owner and resident Betsy Williams wakes up after hearing several bursts of rapid gunfire. 

5:32 a.m.

After another round of gunfire sounds, Williams’ wife calls 911. Police on the scene responding to the shots fired call see a suspicious RV parked on Second Avenue near Commerce Street. By 5:38 a.m., a recording is playing from the RV, announcing the vehicle will explode and that residents should evacuate the area. 

6 a.m.

A 15-minute countdown begins, alerting residents to leave the area because of an impending explosion. In between warnings, speakers on the RV play the wistful 1964 song “Downtown” by Petula Clark. Williams and her family leave. 

Officers evacuate other residents. 

6:28 a.m.

Marc Johnson, who lives in The Exchange Lofts at Church Street and Third Avenue, exits his building wearing headphones and heads down Church Street toward Second Avenue for his morning walk.  

6:30 a.m.

The bomb explodes. 

Johnson is walking by the Premiere Parking lot, at the corner of Third Avenue and Church Street, when the 6-foot-6, 300-pound man is knocked to the ground from the blast. 

Officer Tyler Luellen, as he continues telling residents on Second Avenue to evacuate, is also knocked down by the explosion. 

Deputy Chief Chris Taylor calls Chief John Drake with initial details about a large blast. The chief wonders whether it was an accidental tragedy, someone camping in their RV and trying to stay warm. 

6:44 a.m.

Police spokesman Don Aaron calls Drake, explaining that the incident was a significant explosion and not simply a propane leak as the chief initially expected. 

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6:45 a.m. 

Police block downtown streets. Federal agents are called in.  

Emergency crews arrive. Three people are taken to hospitals for non-critical injuries.

7:45 a.m. 

Drake arrives at the scene. He sees Second Avenue, which looks like the “middle of a war zone.” Sirens are blaring, trees are strewn about, cars and buildings are destroyed. It looks like someone dropped a bomb out of a plane, Drake thinks to himself.  

8 a.m.

Police say the incident is “linked” to an RV. 

9 a.m.

Police say the bombing was an “intentional act.” 

11 a.m. 

Several people are taken to the central precinct for questioning, police say, but provide no additional details about a suspect. 

Mobile phone and internet service is down in multiple Middle Tennessee counties. AT&T’s regional telecommunications hub on Second Avenue was near where the RV exploded. 

12:30 p.m.

911 centers around the region begin to report outages. 

Midday

 An ex-girlfriend of Warner wakes up and sees the bombing news. She now lives in another county. The woman immediately thinks Warner was involved. She is distraught for hours, unable to speak clearly.  The woman in August 2019 had reported to Metro Nashville Police that Warner was building bombs in his RV. 

Later in the day, the ex-girlfriend calls the FBI to provide information about Warner. 

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2:20 p.m.

Police release a surveillance photo of the RV. 

The FAA temporarily halts outbound flights at Nashville International Airport. Delays last several hours. 

Friday evening: The FBI travels to the ex-girlfriend's home, where she talks to them about Warner. She tells them attorney Ray Throckmorton III, who formerly represented both her and Warner, would also have information about Warner and the previous bomb report.  

5:05 p.m.

Drake says a motive in the explosion is unknown. He says police found tissue at the scene that could be human remains.  

9:30 a.m. 

The FBI and ATF arrive at Throckmorton’s Nashville home and ask how he knew Warner and for other details.

10:45 a.m.

The FBI, ATF and Nashville police arrive at a duplex at 115 Bakertown Road where Warner lived. 

12:45 p.m. 

Federal agents conduct “court approved activity” at the Bakertown Road residence. A bomb squad determines no one is inside, an FBI spokesperson says at the scene.  

The FBI tells The Tennessean a person of interest has been identified in the bombing, and authorities have no one in custody. 

Neighbors say an RV similar to the one in the explosion had been parked at the Bakertown Road duplex. 

Widespread AT&T outages are reported in Tennessee, but extend as far as Missouri, Indiana, Georgia, Illinois and Alabama. Debit and credit card services remain affected at ATMs, gas pumps and in stores, causing problems for some retailers on a usually bustling day after Christmas. 

1 p.m. 

The FBI says the bureau has received more than 500 tips in 24 hours, and its behavioral analysis unit in Quantico is assisting in the bombing investigation. 

Throughout the afternoon, Warner’s name is linked with the attack as federal agents continue investigating his background and talking to people who knew him. 

2:30 p.m. 

The FBI and ATF evidence response team arrives and enters the Bakertown Road home to conduct a search.  

Saturday afternoon: Agents visit Fridrich & Clark Realty office in Nashville after a company official contacts the FBI to report that Warner did computer consulting work for the real estate firm. 

Morning

Drake learns about a possible 2019 incident involving Warner and Metro Nashville police. 

9 a.m. 

High winds and falling debris hamper evidence processing at the scene downtown, the FBI says. 

9:30 a.m.  

During a news conference, five Nashville police officers who were on Second Avenue prior to the bombing describe evacuating residents. They are described as heroes by the Mayor John Cooper and the police chief.   

10:20 a.m.

Drake confirms to The Tennessean Warner is a person of interest in the bombing. 

2 p.m. 

AT&T sets up a temporary network in the parking lot of Nissan Stadium to restore mobile and internet service, which was disrupted in five states. 

4 p.m. 

Don Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, declares Warner is “the bomber.” Cochran says Warner died in the bombing, explaining DNA testing confirmed his remains at the scene. 

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7 p.m. 

Police release surveillance footage from a mounted camera at Second Avenue North and Commerce Street showing Officer James Wells’ close proximity as the bomb exploded. Wells experienced temporary hearing loss from the blast. 

8 a.m. 

Drake in a meeting with officials from the mayor’s office mentions there may be a “possible 2019 incident” in connection with Warner, but says he doesn’t have information.  Drake later tells the mayor’s office he got the full August 2019 report Monday afternoon.

FBI Evidence Response Teams and the ATF National Response Team members continue collecting evidence at the blast scene. Nearly half of the original crime scene is returned to the city for clean-up and safety assessments.  

The FBI Victim Services Division sends 26 victim specialists to Nashville to escort affected residents and business owners to damaged buildings to retrieve essential items and pets.   

FBI and ATF Special Agents, analysts and profilers continue to interview people who knew Warner to determine a motive.

8:17 p.m.

The Tennessean reports Metro Nashville Police Department and the FBI received information 16 months earlier that Warner’s girlfriend reported he was making bombs in his RV.  The Tennessean obtained an Aug. 21, 2019, police report documenting officers’ conversation with the girlfriend and Throckmorton, her attorney. Neither local nor federal authorities previously mentioned the 2019 report about Warner. 

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2:30 p.m. 

At a press conference, Drake discusses the August 2019 report and the police department’s attempt at the time to investigate the tip. Officers never made contact with Warner in August 2019 to interview him and did not apply for a warrant to search his house or RV. 

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3 p.m.

Drake, Cooper and Fire Chief William Swann brief Metro Council about the investigation and cleanup. Drake says Warner’s life was “spiraling out of control.”  

FBI tells The Tennessean Warner mailed packages to acquaintances before the bombing. A spokesperson for the FBI says Warner “sent materials which espoused his viewpoints to several acquaintances throughout the country” but does not elaborate on a possible motive. 

Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 9-10, 2020

Victims of the Christmas bombing spent the weekend retrieving whatever they could from their homes damaged in the explosion.

Called the Nashville Strong Moving Days, the city scheduled Saturday and Sunday as the first big opportunity to move out since the devastating bombing wrecked their historic downtown community. In the cold, bundled residents and volunteers checked in at a tent set up at First Avenue and Broadway.

Friday, Jan. 22, 2020 

Drake announced city officials were moving as fast as they can to reopening Second Avenue North to traffic from Broadway to Commerce Street, which is already open for pedestrian traffic.

Cooper also extended a curfew in place for a "no-entry" area downtown through Jan. 29. The area includes portions of First and Second Avenue between Church and Commerce Streets.

Metro officials said they're still reviewing structural engineering reports from owners and metro. They also said they're ready to start issuing permits to stabilize some of the most damaged buildings.

Cooper announced the forming of a Citizens Advisory Group that will meet Jan. 29 to provide input on recovery efforts along Second Avenue.