The 63-year-old loner — who died in his massive Christmas Day suicide blast — may have turned against the telecommunications industry after the 2011 death of his father, who worked for a company that later merged with AT&T, a source close to the investigation told the Daily Mail.
UNOFFICIAL MOTIVE
His father, Charles, worked for BellSouth, which was acquired by AT&T in 2006. Charles Warner died in 2011 of dementia at age 78.
His son, ‘Tony,’ was believed to be “heavily into conspiracy theories,” especially over fears that 5G networks were killing people, the source said.
“The unofficial motive thus far is the suspect believed 5G was the root of all deaths in the region and he’d be hailed a hero,” the source told the outlet.
“We are waiting on the digital footprint that should finally provide us with some answers,” the source explained following a raid of Warner’s home in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville.
HE MAY HAVE BEEN DYING
According to the New York Times, the bomber may also have been dying before his attack, having told an ex-girlfriend that he had cancer.
He gave that ex a car and also signed away the deeds to at least two homes — one just before Thanksgiving.
He gave his home away to a Los Angeles entertainment executive named Michelle Swing. Warner gave Swing a $160,000 house via a quitclaim in January 2019 in the Nashville neighborhood of Antioch, located 12 miles from downtown. Then, on November 25, Warner gave Swing another Antioch house worth $249,999 via quit claim.
On March 23, 2019, she gave the first house back to his mother, Betty Christine Lane, via quit claim after being sued. She didn’t know about the second house and can’t speak publicly at the FBI’s request.
In the letter, Warner wrote that he “intended to travel on Christmas Eve to spend a few weeks in the woods with his dogs,” the report said.
HE MAY HAVE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH SWING’S MOTHER
According to reports, the tech expert is believed by authorities to have previously had a relationship with Swing’s mother.
Warner reportedly wrote to Swing, 29, that he was signing over a home to her — but gave her a vague warning of something out of the ordinary about the basement.
“The attic has plywood and lighting. Take a look,” the letter concluded, according to the outlet. “The basement is not normal, take a look. Woof woof Julio”. [We don’t know who Julio is]
Warner’s vehicle’s blast caused massive disruption to communications systems that even blacked out 911 centers in several surrounding counties.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper on Sunday said the bombing appeared to be an “infrastructure attack” targeting the AT&T building. It also razed historic buildings.
IN THE END
Steve Fridrich, president of Fridrich & Clark Realty in Nashville, said that he had been in contact with the F.B.I. about Mr. Warner, who he said he hired occasionally, usually around once a month, to work on computers. Mr. Fridrich said that Mr. Warner was not an employee and that he believed he provided I.T. support for several businesses.
Mr. Fridrich said Mr. Warner sent the firm an email on Dec. 5 saying that he was retiring.
“He’s a nice guy, and this seems uncharacteristic of the Tony we know,” Mr. Fridrich wrote in a text message. “He was very professional and knew his stuff.”
The nice guy blew up a piece of downtown Nashville after a 15-minute warning blasted in the area and as Petula Clark’s ‘Downtown’ played.
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