Tennessee Explosion Kills One, Leads To Federal Investigation

A Tennessee explosion involving a package that arrived in the mail, killed one person and left another injured on Monday. Federal investigators worked through the night in Lebanon to examine the debris and piece together what happened in the “targeted” attack. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is heading up the investigation and are not ready to release all the details on the event.

Reports reveal that the Tennessee explosion occurred inside the home, not at the mailbox as was first reported. The blast was so fierce, it could be felt at nearby McClain Christian Academy. Emergency teams cleared the area and are confident this was an isolated incident. The students were not in any danger.

When first responders arrived on the scene, the first victim was already dead. The other was found injured, though authorities will not say whether that person’s injury is related to the explosion. The injured victim was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center by LifeFlight helicopter after receiving burns to the face and chest. ATF spokesman Michael Knight says his team is working to determine the origin of the blast. All potential natural causes for the incident have been ruled out, narrowing down the options to a targeted strike.

Wilson County Emergency Management Agency Director Joey Cooper was among those on the scene Monday night. He told reporters that a small fire needed to be put out at the single family, two story home. Neighbors have nothing to be concerned about as the quarter acre property was cleared of any additional explosives.

Investigators are most interested in the cause of the Tennessee explosion and are hoping it will help them in determining a motive if there was any foul play involved.