Nashville residents were jolted awake by a loud explosion in the city’s historic downtown district on Christmas morning. The bomb, hidden inside a recreational vehicle, devastated businesses in the area and disrupted AT&T communication networks throughout the state. Officials described the event as an “intentional act” and a “deliberate bomb.”
Downtown Nashville appeared to be peacefully quiet early Friday morning, until residents heard what they believed to be gunshots. Videos, photos and audio show city blocks that quickly turned chaotic in the wake of the explosion. The Washington Post examined surveillance video, listened to emergency response radio channels and spoke to witnesses to reconstruct how the incident unfolded.