Nashville Bomber Was Driven by Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia, FBI Says There are no indications he was motivated by social or political ideology in the Christmas Day explosion, the agency said Monday By Eric Tucker and Michael Balsamo • Published March 15, 2021 Alex Kent/Getty Images The man who blew himself up inside his recreational vehicle in a Christmas Day bombing in Nashville was grappling with paranoia and eccentric conspiracy theories, but there are no indications he was motivated by social or political ideology, the FBI said Monday in closing out the investigation into the blast. The FBI statement sets out to resolve some of the lingering mysteries of an explosion that initially perplexed investigators and the public because it appeared to lack an obvious motive or fit a clear profile. Though the blast damaged dozens of buildings, it took place early on a holiday morning well before downtown streets would be bustling with activity and was preceded by a recorded announcement warning anyone in the area that a bomb would soon detonate.