Neighbor Describes Conversation With Nashville Bomber: ‘He was a recluse’
The man who authorities have deemed responsible for the Christmas day bombing in Nashville had some chilling words for his neighbor prior to the attack.
FBI and ATF agents search a home Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. An explosion that shook the largely deserted streets of downtown Nashville early Christmas morning shattered windows, damaged buildings, and wounded three people. Authorities said they believed the blast was intentional. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
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UPDATED 7:07 AM PT – Tuesday, December 29, 2020
The man who authorities deemed responsible for the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville had some chilling words for his neighbor prior to the attack.
Rick Laude, the neighbor of suspected bomber Anthony Quinn Warner, spoke out about his interactions with him. Laude claimed to have made small talk with Warner on December 21, just four days before the explosion.
“I asked him, is Santa going to bring him anything good for Christmas? And he smiled and he said oh yeah, I’m going to be famous,” Laude described. “Nashville and the world will never forget me.”
The 57-year-old truck driver said he was not concerned by Warner’s comment, believing “something good was going to happen for Anthony.” Laude suspected Warner had an upcoming business opportunity.
“I thought to myself — well, if he’s an electronic technician and an IT technician, maybe he developed an app that he felt confident that was going to get patented and have a nice little payday,” Laude added. “Nothing about that conversation raised a red flag.”
When authorities identified Warner as the bomber, Laude was shocked to realize what the conversation actually referred to. He also noted that Warner was not a social person.
“He was a recluse. Let me be very clear, he and I were not friends,” Laude stated. “You will not find anybody in my neighborhood claim to be a friend of his. He was just a legitimate recluse.”
Currently, federal agents are looking into whether or not the suspected bomber subscribed to conspiracy theories surrounding 5G technology. Some said Warner could have been motivated to attack 5G technology over a conspiracy that global elites use 5G to spread coronavirus.
The blast took place outside an AT&T building, causing phone outages throughout Tennessee and surrounding states. However, investigators are still searching for a possible motive.