Nashville Bombing and 5G
A quiet Christmas morning turned deadly and destructive when Anthony Quinn Warner detonated an extensive vehicle bomb in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The explosion killed him, injured eight people and damaged dozens of buildings. Although the motive is uncertain, it appears as if Warner may have been specifically targeting an AT&T network hub. The bombing caused sweeping disruptions to cellular, landline, internet and other communications services, including those used by emergency responders and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Why would someone target AT&T?
While the destruction or damage to telecommunications networks are a likely target for terrorism, there may also be a more nefarious motive.
For several years there has been a significant and growing conspiracy theory that 5G cellular technology is causing widespread health issues and being used for government monitoring. The conspiracy touts that increased cancer, autism and even COVID-19 infection are caused by 5G—and powerful corporations are hiding the truth.
Although we can only speculate to his state of mind, Warner was a known believer of other common conspiracy theories including extraterrestrial life, government involvement in 9/11, and fake moon landing.
What does this mean for me?
Although the 5G theories have been debunked by experts, the movement has gained traction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Believers suggest 5G will be used to monitor COVID-19 vaccination compliance and that tracking microchips (a secret part of the vaccine injection) could be activated by 5G to forcibly update DNA. This feeds the COVID-19 denial/anti-vax narrative suggesting impending government takeover.
TIPS
What should I do?
– Assess telecommunications infrastructure and networks as well as those that could be perceived as 5G.
– There have acts of violence and infrastructure attacks in England related to anti-5G movement that were not actual 5G sites.
How should threat managers prepare?
– Review and update crisis management, threat assessment and management plans and policies.
– Establish a crisis management and threat management team before the crisis.
