Anthony Quinn Warner, the man police identified as the suspect responsible for the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville reportedly gave his neighbor an eerie warning in the days leading up to the explosion.
Rick Laude said he saw Warner standing at his mailbox on December 21 as he drove by and pulled over to speak with him. Laude asked Warner about his elderly mother and jokingly asked, “Is Santa going to bring you anything good for Christmas?”
Laude said Warner smiled and responded, “Oh yeah, Nashville and the world is never going to forget me.”
The unsuspecting neighbor said he didn’t give the comment much thought and believed Warner only meant that “something good” was going to happen for him.
Days later, Laude said he was “speechless” when he discovered that authorities identified Warner as the suspected bomber by linking his DNA to pieces of human tissue found in the debris after the explosion.
“Nothing about this guy raised any red flags,” Laude recalled. “He was just quiet.”
Investigators are still working to determine a motive behind the attack that left dozens of downtown buildings damaged and three people injured.
Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, David Rausch said, “We hope to get an answer. Sometimes, it’s just not possible. The best way to find a motive is to talk to the individual. We will not be able to do that in this case.”
According to authorities Warner was not anywhere near their radar before the bombing. A records report showed that Warner’s only arrest was for a marijuana-related charge over 40 years ago.
“It does appear that the intent was more destruction than death,” said Rausch, “but again that’s all still speculation at this point as we continue in our investigation with all our partners.”
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