NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau Keeping an Eye Out After Nashville Blast

By Yehudit Garmaise

  After a recreational vehicle (RV) that was parked on a mostly deserted street in Nashville exploded and injured three people on Friday at 6:30am, the NYPD said it is keeping an eye on “critical communication infrastructure locations” in New York City.

    Six Nashville police officers started evacuating its downtown area, after residents heard gunshots early Friday morning and later heard, coming from the RV, an eerie, automated female recorded voice that said, “Evacuate now. This vehicle has a bomb and will explode in 15 minutes. Evacuate now.”

    Officials said the blast damaged at least 41 businesses, destroyed many historic buildings, and devastated the neighborhood, which was empty at the time, but usually populated by thousands at night. 

     “We are closely monitoring the Nashville investigation through our Intelligence Bureau, our FBI partners on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security,” the NYPD's statement continued.

   Investigators, who are mystified as to the motive of the detonation, said at a news conference today that they have not found any additional explosive devices or any further active threats in Nashville, and they are looking at several suspects who may be connected to the bombing.

    In addition, one law enforcement official who spoke anonymously to the Associated Press said that investigators have identified a person of interest in connection with the bombing to be associated with a property in Antioch, Tenn., which is a suburb of Nashville.