Investigators probing the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville are trying to determine if the conspiracy theories motivated the suspect, Anthony Quinn Warner to detonate the bomb that killed himself and injured three others.
Police are also probing whether he believed 5G conspiracy theories.
The suspect had reportedly made statements about a “lizard people” conspiracy theory which claims politicians and celebrities such as Justin Bieber and the Obamas are lizards with alien origins which are now taking over the world.
Authorities are examining Warner’s digital devices and footprint to find clues to what drove the man to set off a powerful bomb inside his recreational vehicle, which took down communications networks and injured several people in downtown Nashville.
Investigators are also looking at the suspect’s previous trips to undisclosed locations in Tennessee where he would camp out in his recreational vehicle and hunt for possible aliens, officials said.
READ: Nashville bomber gave away his car, house before blowing-up on Christmas Day
‘Computer Geek’: Investigators identify Nashville Christmas explosion suspect
What Happened?
An RV exploded around 6:30 a.m. CT in downtown Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas outside a telecoms office disrupted communications systems in Tennessee and four other states.
The explosion left at least three injured.
Before the explosion witnesses reportedly heard a recorded voice from the RV, saying, “Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode.”
The voice then started a 15-minute countdown and the RV played music.
Officers, responding to an early morning call on Friday for shots fired, encountered the RV as the recording played, police said. The officers began evacuating nearby buildings.
At least 40 buildings and businesses were damaged in the explosion.
This is video of Friday morning's explosion recorded by an MNPD camera at 2nd Ave N & Commerce St. pic.twitter.com/3vaXhoUOAR
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 28, 2020