https://www.foxnews.com/us/nashville-explosion-downtown-christmas-day
Fewer than five people injured so far on reports, all walking wounded. Could have been a lot worse, lots of windows blown in. Cops were responding to a shots-fired report, saw the suspicious recreational-vehicle outside the AT&T building, started evac'ing people (who would have been much more hurt otherwise), the BDU was on the way, the RV detonated hard, setting off secondary explosions in at least four other cars (leading to some speculation there were other devices, though that's unlikely at this time). Some people in for questioning, lots of security cameras around so police will be working to find out how the RV got there.
So far my rough guess based on available details is that this was meant to target Nashville police, either generally or the ones on duty around this area at this time specifically (maybe even one or a few particular).
Police respond to a shots fired call, but there appears to be no crime or assault afterward: shots fired to get the attention of police?
The RV with the explosives is parked in a way to immediately trigger suspicion among responding police. The BDU is called at once, and officers start evacuating civilians near the RV.
The bomb goes off at a time to minimize civilian casualties, rather than maximize them (12 hours earlier or later), but still placed to threaten enough civilians to prompt police to evacuate them. End result, the highest possible ratio of police to civilians. Notably, the first handful of walking wounded are reported to be police responders.
The bomb goes off BEFORE the bomb disposal unit arrives although they're on the way and close by. They'd be bringing raven tech electronic counter-measures, jammers and detectors for triangulating a signal, suggesting the possibility of spotters watching to detonate remotely before losing the opportunity.
Apparently the vehicle was broadcasting a message (not sure if it was recorded or remote) to evacuate the area before it detonated:
Whoever did this went to some pretty great lengths to avoid casualties. Picked Christmas day, 15 minute announced timer...weird. Hit an AT&T backup center and knocked out cell service for a while, including 911.
Where was Hans Gruber and the simultaneous bank heist?
So, what is it? Proud Boys, or Intifa, or operatives in black suites? The Russians?
Quote from: Lotti Fuehrscheim on December 25, 2020, 08:46:25 PM
So, what is it? Proud Boys, or Intifa, or operatives in black suites? The Russians?
Too early to tell. There is a report that human remains were found. If that is the case, I'm guessing it was the perpetrator, as I would think that most of the few people nearby would have evacuated after that recorded message. If that assumption is correct, it was probably a suicide or a "dual motive" suicide, ie, someone suicidal who also was very angry with AT&T or some other nearby business.
Quote from: Tripoli on December 25, 2020, 09:31:25 PM
Quote from: Lotti Fuehrscheim on December 25, 2020, 08:46:25 PM
So, what is it? Proud Boys, or Intifa, or operatives in black suites? The Russians?
Too early to tell. There is a report that human remains were found. If that is the case, I'm guessing it was the perpetrator, as I would think that most of the few people nearby would have evacuated after that recorded message. If that assumption is correct, it was probably a suicide or a "dual motive" suicide, ie, someone suicidal who also was very angry with AT&T or some other nearby business.
But those kind of people usually want to actually kill many people of the target organisation, so they wouldn't set it off in the early morning. Now it will be all insurance damage, except for possibly some unlucky victims.
By the way, we had a few explosions in our city of Groningen in April 1945
Hey Lotti,
I was born a little ways west of you, in the city of Leeuwarden.
Quote from: Staggerwing on December 25, 2020, 10:07:32 PM
Hey Lotti,
I was born a little ways west of you, in the city of Leeuwarden.
Hallo buurman
https://twitter.com/gem_groningen/status/1341780772366245888
For the forinners, these are the mayors of Groningen and Leeuwarden wishing each other Happy Christmas in each other's language.
At home we Frisians and Groningers are fierce rivals, but in the rest of the Netherlands we are Northerns together, and abroad we team up with the Belgians, eh, I mean the Flemish. And if we must, we identify with the EU.
Thanks for posting that. Sadly I never learned to speak Frisian as my family emigrated to the USA when I was very young.
I did learn to speak passable Dutch since my parents were originally from the Zaandam area and we spoke Dutch at home even after settling in the US.
Quote from: Lotti Fuehrscheim on December 25, 2020, 09:39:59 PM
Quote from: Tripoli on December 25, 2020, 09:31:25 PM
Quote from: Lotti Fuehrscheim on December 25, 2020, 08:46:25 PM
So, what is it? Proud Boys, or Intifa, or operatives in black suites? The Russians?
Too early to tell. There is a report that human remains were found. If that is the case, I'm guessing it was the perpetrator, as I would think that most of the few people nearby would have evacuated after that recorded message. If that assumption is correct, it was probably a suicide or a "dual motive" suicide, ie, someone suicidal who also was very angry with AT&T or some other nearby business.
But those kind of people usually want to actually kill many people of the target organisation, so they wouldn't set it off in the early morning. Now it will be all insurance damage, except for possibly some unlucky victims.
...
Sometimes they do want to take down innocents, but not always. Sometimes they are very aware of the danger their suicides pose to others, and go to lengths to avoid hurting them. I know of cases where people gassed themselves in their vehicles with poison gas, but put signs in the windows of the car so first responders would be warned of the gas danger before they opened the car door and exposed themselves. My guess based on the very limited information we currently have, is that this is either a suicide by someone who also wanted some publicity and/or someone who was suicidal because of something they perceived was caused by one of the company's affected by the blast, and wanted some revenge. Based on the currently available information, I don't think this was terrorism. I very well may change my mind as more information becomes available.
A video posted to YouTube that appears to show the area from a street-facing stationary camera presents a female-sounding voice repeating: "This area must be evacuated now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now." Then an explosion occurs, scattering debris visible under the camera.
Another view of the blast.