MIND OF A MADMAN

Nashville Xmas Bomber Driven by Conspiracies, Not Politics: FBI

It was a suicide mission based partly on misplaced paranoia over beliefs with no basis in reality, said the bureau.

The man who detonated an explosives-laden RV in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning did so “to end his own life, driven in part by a totality of life stressors—including paranoia, long-held individualized beliefs adopted from several eccentric conspiracy theories, and the loss of stabilizing anchors and deteriorating interpersonal relationships,” the FBI said in a report issued Monday. Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, was the only person killed in the blast that damaged 40 nearby buildings and injured eight. He acted alone, said the FBI, and his actions were “determined to not be related to terrorism.”

“The FBI assesses Warner specifically chose the location and timing of the bombing so that it would be impactful, while still minimizing the likelihood of causing undue injury,” the report states. “The FBI’s analysis did not reveal indications of a broader ideological motive to use violence to bring about social or political change, nor does it reveal indications of a specific personal grievance focused on individuals or entities in and around the location of the explosion. It is important to note that only Warner knows the real reason why he detonated his explosive device. However, at this time, the FBI is confident, based on evidence collected, Warner’s own writings, and interviews with those who knew him best, that the above assessment is accurate.”