Fact check: Photos, videos altered to make it appear as if Nashville bomb wasn’t from RV

The claim: Photos and videos claim the source of explosion in Nashville was not the RV

Around 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, a violent explosion ripped through Nashville’s Second Avenue. The source of the blast was an RV that had been parked on the street all night and broadcast a warning message shortly before it exploded, per USA TODAY.

In the wake of the incident, some individuals have taken to Facebook to claim that the vehicle was not actually the source of the explosion.

Sergio RodriQuez posted a series of images of the blast site, including a video that labels the explosion “Source” on the opposite side of the street as the RV.

The video — which is low quality and appears to be footage of another device’s screen — slowly transitions between two still shots.

The first still shot is before the explosion. On the left, there is a circle around the RV labeled “RV.” On the right, there is a circle around the sidewalk labeled “Source.” 

The second still shot is after the explosion. Most of the image is flaming red, including the circle labeled “RV.” In contrast, the circle labeled “Source” is blinding bright white. 

“I don’t know the role of the #RV,” he wrote. “I know it’s clearly not the source.”

Other users — like Gary LeVox and Jack Watts — posted the same still shots.

“The RV is in left circle. The circle on right is the IMPACT SiTE!” LeVox wrote.

“In the second photo, you can clearly see the origin of the blast came from a different spot, not where the RV was parked,” Watts wrote. “The RV was nothing but a decoy.”

RodriQuez, LeVox, and Watts have not responded to requests from USA TODAY for comment.

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Combination of images creates altered depiction of events

The combination of the still shots into a video, or the juxtaposition of the shots next to each other, creates an altered depiction of what actually occurred. 

On Dec. 27, the Metro Nashville Police Department released the complete footage of the explosion and its aftermath, published by The Tennessean.

The 42-second video shows that the blast originated from the RV on the left side of the street, before debris exploded on the right. Smoke pours out from the left.

Both before and after the explosion, there is a white car parked on the right side of the street. If the blast originated on the right, the car likely would have been destroyed. 

Reporters for Nashville’s NewsChannel 5 first debunked the altered images and claims that the RV was not the source of the bomb.

Investigators have said that the perpetrator, Anthony Warner, filled his RV with explosives and detonated it from within. His body was incinerated in the blast.

Phil Williams, the station’s lead investigative reporter, took to Twitter to condemn explosion-related conspiracy theories and explain the true sequence of events.

“The FALSE conspiracy theory about a Nashville missile attack is based on altered images. The RV is parked on the left. The initial fireball is on the left. Fiery debris (not a missile) rains down on the right. (Basic physics.) In the end, the RV is gone,” he wrote.

It’s possible that the second still shot in the posts on Facebook came from midway through the blast to make it appear as if the source was not the RV. But the complete footage discredits that depiction.

Multiple officials, including Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch, have announced that Warner acted alone in the attack. His motive is still a mystery, according to USA TODAY.

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Our rating: Altered

Based on our research, the video that claims the source of the explosion in Nashville was not the RV is ALTERED. The still shots that comprise the video were selected from footage of the blast and juxtaposed to make it appear as if the blast was on the right. But complete footage, released by the police, shows that the explosion originated from the RV on the left side of the street, before debris exploded on the right.

Our fact-check sources:

• USA TODAY, Dec. 25, ‘Evacuate now. There is a bomb’: Human remains reportedly found near explosion in Nashville that damaged 41 buildings, injured 3 
• The Tennessean, Dec. 27, New Nashville bombing video released by police shows clear view of the explosion 
• NewsChannel 5, Dec. 28, False conspiracy theory about a Nashville missile attack is based on altered images
• Phil Williams, Dec. 27-28, tweet thread
• USA TODAY, Dec. 28, A tip, a hat and a pair of gloves led to ID of Nashville bomber Anthony Quinn Warner; motive remains a mystery

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*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from USA TODAY can be found here ***