Fact Check

Is This a Photo of the Nashville RV Explosion Suspect?

Social media posts attempted to tie the Christmas morning explosion in Nashville to a Trump supporter.

David Mikkelson

Published Dec. 27, 2020

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 25: In this handout image provided by the Metro Nashville Police Department, a screengrab of surveillance footage shows the recreational vehicle suspected of being used in the Christmas day bombing on December 25, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. A Hazardous Devices Unit was en route to check on a recreational vehicle which then exploded, extensively damaging some nearby buildings. According to reports, the police believe the explosion to be intentional, with at least 3 injured and human remains found in the vicinity of the explosion. (Photo by Metro Nashville Police Department via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Claim:
A photograph shows a person of interest identified by the FBI in the Christmas morning explosion in Nashville.
Rating:
Miscaptioned
Miscaptioned

About this rating

On Christmas morning of 2020, a recreational vehicle exploded on the streets of Nashville near a building owned by AT&T.

A few days later, the FBI identified a person of interest in connection with the explosion, Anthony Quinn Warner, who was believed to have been "paranoid about 5G technology"

While the FBI was pursuing its investigation, social media users circulated a photograph said to depict Warner, a picture purportedly showing him wearing a "Trump 2020" cap:

However, this photograph was a hoax, one which bore no resemblance to a picture of Warner published by CBS News that was reported as confirmed by "law enforcement sources":

By David Mikkelson

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994 as a creative outgrowth of his wide-ranging interests in a variety of subjects (particularly folklo ... read more

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Nashville Bombing