Nashville explosion: A quick recap of the facts after a bomb went off downtown.
Nashville was startled awake Christmas morning by the sound of a large explosion downtown that is still being investigated.
Law enforcement officials are slowly releasing details. Here's what you need to know.
What happened downtown Christmas morning?
Nashville police and fire crews responded to reports of shots fired in the area of Second Avenue and Commerce Street and noticed a suspicious RV parked outside an AT&T building before 6 a.m. Friday, according to police spokesman Don Aaron.
Officers and witnesses heard a recording from the RV giving a dire warning: “Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode."
An officer alerted the department's hazardous devices unit, which was en route, when a "significant explosion" happened.
At least six Nashville police officers acted quickly to start evacuating people from nearby buildings.
Mayor John Cooper called them "heroes" at a Friday evening news conference.
"They ran to danger with uncertain outcomes ahead of them; they were responsible for so many innocents being saved," he said.
Police and firefighters responded to the area about 6:45 a.m.
Metro police Chief John Drake said a motive in the explosion was not known, nor has a suspect or person of interest been named.
Drake said it was unclear if anyone was inside the RV when it exploded. He confirmed "tissue" that "could be" human remains was found in the area of the explosion. Authorities are investigating to determine if it is connected with the explosion.
The investigation has focused on an older model RV that police said was spotted in the area after 1 a.m. Friday, hours before the explosion.
Police released a surveillance photo of the vehicle and asked for the public's help.
The FBI is leading the investigation with help from the ATF and other federal, state and local agencies.
Several people were taken to the department's central precinct for questioning, but authorities declined to give more details Friday.
Was anyone hurt in the explosion?
At least three people were hospitalized, authorities said. All three individuals were in stable condition, Cooper said.
Just before the blast, officers were conducting door-to-door checks in the area and redirected a man walking his dog along the street.
The force of the explosion knocked an officer to the ground. Another officer suffered what police hope is temporary hearing loss.
The identities of those hurt and the extent of their injuries was not immediately known.
Cooper toured the damage Friday morning and said at an evening press conference at least 41 businesses in the area had been damaged in connection with the explosion.
"It looks like a bomb went off," Cooper said.
Fire Chief William Swann said one building collapsed and others sustained major damage in the area around the blast.
Several downtown residents' homes were destroyed, Swann said.
The American Red Cross opened a shelter for those who were displaced.
Why are there AT&T internet outages?
An AT&T outage connected to the explosion continued late Friday to affect 911 operations and other services.
The company said in a public statement around 5 p.m. Friday that they were bringing national disaster recovery teams to the Nashville area along with regional resources to work to restore service.
The outages were reported several hours after the explosion. AT&T indicated in its statement that the building was damaged and access to power was an issue.
"Power is essential to restoring wireless and wireline communications, and we are working with law enforcement to get access to our equipment and make needed repairs," the statement read. "There are serious logistical challenges to working in a disaster area, and we will make measurable progress in the hours and days ahead."
Users around the country reported disruptions in service, but there was a concentration in the Nashville area and around Middle Tennessee, growing in reach from Kentucky to Alabama as more reports came in.
Flights were temporarily halted out of Nashville International Airport on Friday afternoon because of communications issues stemming from the explosion. By evening, most flights had resumed but the potential for delays remained.
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