Authorities safely detonate bomb in Franklin, seek suspect

State and federal bomb specialists safely detonated a bomb found inside an employee's car Saturday outside a Franklin care facility.

"The device was sophisticated and designed to do maximum harm to the intended victim, and would have hurt several others if it had detonated as intended,” said Lt. Charles Warner, Franklin police spokesman.

Mitchell Hunter Oakes was identified by Franklin police as a suspect after the device was found by an NHC Cool Springs employee who was ending her shift, said Franklin police in a news release. The police department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are offering a $7,500 reward for information leading police to him.

The person whose vehicle the device was found in has a connection to Oakes, police said.

At 7:15 a.m., Franklin police responded to NHC Cool Springs at 211 Cool Springs Boulevard, to investigate a suspicious device, police said. Officers began immediately relocating roughly 60 patients to other parts of the building. There are about 220 total patients in the facility and all were moved to safe portions of the facility.

At about 2 p.m., Franklin police reported that a small explosion occurred. It was a part of authorities' efforts to stabilize the device. The safe detonation of the device left behind a large crater, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said on its official Facebook account.

Franklin Fire Department, Williamson County EMS, Williamson County Emergency Management and the Williamson County Sheriff's Office all responded to assist. Bomb specialists from the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the FBI were on scene working to "safeguard the device," police said.

Oakes is described as 6 foot, 3 inches tall and 240 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He may have ties to Crossville, Pikeville and Cookeville. Oakes, who is wanted on a felony warrant out of Virginia, is a convicted felon with a violent history and has extensive knowledge about making bombs and weapons. He is considered armed and dangerous.

Police ask anyone who sees Oakes to call 911.

Reach Holly Meyer at 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.