Probe leaves lives in a lurch
FBI yet to call Tenn. bombing a terrorist act, leaving business owners to question why not
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The FBI investigation into whether the Nashville bombing was a terrorist act has drawn questions from downtownbusinessownerswhoseinsurancecoverage could beaffectedbythebureau’sassessment.
Two weeks after an explosion that struck at the heart of a major American city, theFBIhasresistedlabelingit anact of terrorism, anindication that evidence gathered so far does not conclusively establishthatthebomberwasmotivated bypolitical ideology—akeyfactorinany formal declaration of terrorism. The bureau is still examining evidence and hasnotannouncedanyconclusions,but investigators are knowntobereviewing whether Anthony Warner believed in conspiracy theories involving aliens and 5Gcellphone technology.
Warner died in the Christmas Day explosion of a recreational vehicle that also wounded three other people.
“Whenweassessaneventfordomestic terrorism nexus, it hastobetied to an ideology. It’s the use of force or violence in the furtherance of a political or social ideology or event. We haven’t tied that yet,” Doug Korneski, the FBI agent in charge of the agency’s Memphis office, told reporters recently.
The FBI investigates two types of terrorism that are defined not by the ethnicity or background of the suspect but by the person’s motivation or ideology. International terrorism involves acts by people who are inspired by, or acting at the direction of, foreign terrorist organizations. Domestic terrorism generally involves politically motivated violence intendedtofurther aparticular cause or agenda.
TheexplosioninMusicCity’shistoric downtowndamagedmorethan40businesses.
The classification of the attack could help determine insurance payouts for businesses that were damaged. At issue are the varying definitions of terrorism sprinkled throughout federal law.
Small-business owners tend to opt out of terrorism coverage when selecting insurance policies, presumingthata terrorist act would be unlikely to affect their company, said Jason Schupp, founder and managing member of Centers for Better Insurance, an insuranceindustry think tank near Washington.
Pete Gibson is owner of Pride and Glory Tattoo Parlor, which is directly across from the bomb site. He said terrorism coverage was the furthest detail from his mind when he was selecting an insurance policy seven years ago. Heisstill unsure whatwill be covered.
“I hadn’t even heard of terrorism coverage back then,” Gibson said. “So now it’s just a big mess. I’m hoping to know more soon.”
Gibson said he and other small-business owners were approached earlier this year during Black Lives Matter protests about considering terrorism coverage, but they all brushed it aside.
Domestic terrorism can be challenging to define, especially when it comes to prosecution. Though there is a definition in the U.S. criminal code, there is no federal domestic terrorism statute, meaningthatJusticeDepartmentprosecutors must turn to other crimes such as explosives charges to prosecute acts that might otherwise be thought of as terrorism.
Investigators have not uncovered a motive, but they have learned that Warner may have believed in conspiracy theories.