Reward for Nashville bomber reaches $315,000 after 'The Profit' host and businessman Marcus Lemonis offers $250,000 for information
The reward for information on a bomb that shook downtown Nashville early on Friday morning has climbed to $315,000 after a $250,000 pledge from 'The Profit' host Marcus Lemonis.
Lemonis announced his donation on Twitter following smaller contributions from the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., FOX Sports host Clay Travis, and Lewis Country Store.
The reality TV star expressed his horror at the blast that resulted in the hospitalization of three people.
Cops had rushed to evacuate the area before dawn on Christmas Day when they came across the bomb-rigged RV playing an announcement saying it was going to explode.
'We can't have our streets terrorized like this,' Lemonis wrote.
'This is when you who are reading this needs to use your social media for what matters most. Protect people,' he added. 'Let's spread the word and help the city solve this.'
'Somebody, somewhere, knows something. Spread the word.'
The reward pledges were started off on Friday afternoon by Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and its members who made an initial contribution of $10,000 before increasing it to $35,000.
'Like everyone, we woke up this Christmas morning to the horrible news of the explosion on Second Avenue. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with all involved or affected,' Butch Spyridon, NCVC president and CEO said in a statement.
The TV star expressed his horror at the blast that resulted in the hospitalization of three people
Nashville was shaken in the early hours of Christmas morning after a bomb detonated at 6.40am from an RV playing a strange 15-minute countdown on repeat
BI and first responders work the scene after an explosion in Nashville before dawn on Friday that was later revealed to be an intentional bombing from an RV
'This is when we show the world who we are. Thank you all for everything you do for our city and stay safe. I believe in Nashville.'
They were followed by a $10,000 donation from Travis and $20,000 from Lewis Country Store before Lemonis also stepped in.
'It is a shame that this happened on Christmas Day or any day as a matter of fact!' Lewis Country Store said.
The CNBC host was praised on Twitter for his contribution.
'Watching the non-stop coverage on the senseless bombing in Downtown Nashville,' wrote country radio host Shawn Parrs.
'@marcuslemonis thank you for stepping up with the reward $! I always stand PROUD to represent @CampingWorld Thank you to our First Responders who have been on the scene all day.'
Businessman Marcus Lemonis donated $250k as he called for more information
Lemonis was praised on social media for his contribution to the reward money
The reward pledges were started off on Friday afternoon by Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and its members who made an initial contribution of $10k before increasing it to $35k
Lemonis grew up in Miami in a large, American Lebanese family after being adopted from the Lebanon at nine months old in 1974.
The 47-year-old worked for his family business before launching his own businesses and becoming a high-profile CEO and speaker.
He is the founder and CEO of Camping World, Good Sam Enterprises, Gander Outdoors and The House Boardshop, and began to host 'The Profit' in 2013.
The reality show features Lemonis on the hunt for promising yet faltering small businesses that he can help.
In October, he also established the Lemon-AID Foundation with a $50million pledge aimed at providing greater opportunities for small businesses and underserved communities.
Among their first partnerships was a $1million donation to Grubhub and the 'Plating Change' program.
Nashville was shaken in the early hours of Christmas morning after a bomb detonated at 6.40am from an RV playing a strange 15-minute countdown on repeat.
Three people were hospitalized but are now in a stable condition.
Mayor John Cooper installed a curfew around the bomb site on Friday night while the investigation continued and the FBI hunted for leads.
They said that no motive for the bombing had yet been found.
Police also confirmed that tissue was found at the bombsite which they believed could be from a human.
They did not reveal how close to the RV it was found or if it could be linked to a suspect or a victim.
The bomb exploded from inside a vehicle located on Second Avenue, between Church and Commerce Street.
Police were already on the scene and evacuating people after being called to the area forty minutes earlier amid reports of shots fired.
When they got there, officers said there were no obvious signs of a shooting, but the RV was playing an announcement featuring a woman's voice saying it would explode in 15 minutes.
In this photo from the Twitter page of the Metro Nashville Police Department, a motorhome, that later exploded in Nashville, Tennessee on December 25, 2020, is seen driving down a street. It is shown at 1.22am on Thursday night. It was detonated on Friday at 6.40am
It is not clear if the shots may also have been on the recording being played from the RV.
The FBI is investigating but so far, no suspect or motive has been identified.
Police do not even know if someone was inside the RV when it blew up because the blast was so intense that it was completely obliterated along with everything inside of it.
The blast caused widespread internet and cell phone outages with issues being reports across Kentucky and Tennessee at around noon local time.
The outage hit local 911 systems and caused the FAA to temporarily halt flights from the local airport.
It's unclear if the AT&T building was the target of the bomb but the vehicle was parked outside it. There are also bars, restaurants and apartments nearby which had not yet opened.
FBI Special Agent in charge Matt Foster made a plea to the public for information.
'The FBI stands with the city of Nashville today in this very tragic Christmas Day event.
'This is our city too. We live here, we work here. We're putting everything we have into finding who was responsible for what happened here today.
'There are leads that need to be pursued and technical works need to happen.'
Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to contact the FBI at www.fbi.gov/nashville or by calling them.
