Nashville bomber was fueled by ‘stressors’ such as conspiracy theories, FBI says

The man who detonated a vehicle bomb in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning was driven in part by his belief in conspiracy theories, the FBI said in a report released Monday.

The “detonation of the improvised explosive device was an intentional act in an effort to end his own life, driven in part by a totality of life stressors — including paranoia, long-held individualized beliefs adopted from several eccentric conspiracy theories, and the loss of stabilizing anchors and deteriorating interpersonal relationships,” the FBI said in a press release based on evidence gathered through the investigation.

The bomber, Anthony Quinn Warner, was the only person killed in the blast on December 25, 2020.

More than 40 buildings were damaged and at least eight people were injured in the explosion that originated in a recreational vehicle outside of an AT&T transmission building. Warner’s remains were found on scene.

“The FBI assesses Warner specifically chose the location and timing of the bombing so that it would be impactful, while still minimizing the likelihood of causing undue injury,” the release said.

The incident was “determined to not be related to terrorism,” and the investigation did not reveal any motivations to bring about social or political change or personal grievances with those around the site of the blast.

No further investigation or charges are expected, FBI Memphis spokesperson Joel Siskovic said.