The white domestic terrorist who blew up his trailer on Nashville’s historic Second Avenue on Christmas morning – injuring three buildings, destroying buildings and damaging more than 40 companies – played Petula Clark’s 1964 hit “Downtown” through the speaker system of the trailer before the explosion. On Tuesday, the 88-year-old English singer issued a statement of “shock and disbelief” that her music was the prelude to such a crime.
“I love Nashville and its people. Why this violent act – leaving so much devastation behind? Clark wrote. “A few hours later – I was told that the background music of that strange ad – it was me – singing ‘Downtown’! Of all the thousands of songs – why is that? “
Clark went on to quote the lyrics to the melancholy pop song, written by Tony Hatch: “When you’re alone and life is leaving you lonely / you can always go downtown.” “Maybe you can read something else in those words,” she said, “depending on your mood.”
Authorities have spent the last few days trying to determine the mental state of the alleged suicide bomber, Anthony Quinn Warner, who is said to have died in the explosion. The 63-year-old man lived in Nashville, Antioquia, where he ran his own electronics and IT business at home. The RV used in Friday’s attack was seen parked on his property in previous weeks.
According to a Photograph Released by Nashville police, the RV was driven north on Second Avenue one-way after 1 am on Friday and parked near a building that serves as a communication center for AT&T. Shortly after 6 am, the police arrived at the scene for a report on the shots, where they heard Warner’s vehicle playing Clark’s “Downtown” and a recorded warning that it was going to explode. At 6:29 am, the RV detonated.
The subsequent explosion damaged historic buildings along the block and disrupted AT&T’s Internet and cell phone service throughout Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. Much of the city’s 911 system was also damaged. AT&T continues to bring its systems back online with the help of portable cell towers. It is not yet known whether Warner specifically targeted the AT&T building, but investigators have been investigating whether the suspect harbored 5G conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories surrounding the bombing itself have also emerged online, even from some notable Nashville figures. On Monday, Gary LeVox, the singer of country music trio Rascal Flatts, raised the theory that it was a missile attack that actually caused the damage. “It will be interesting to see what will happen with this crap!” he wrote in a post already deleted from Instagram.
Clark, for his part, expressed comfort for Nashville, a city that was fatigued by a deadly tornado in March and the continued rise of Covid-19 in Tennessee. “I would like to wrap my arms around Nashville,” wrote Clark. “Give a hug to all of you.”