Country Music Producer David Malloy and His Dog Saved From Nashville Bombing by Local Cop
David Malloy credits Nashville police with saving both him and his dog, DJ, from walking right into the site of the disastrous bombing that took place in Music City's downtown on Christmas Day.
Malloy is a veteran country music producer and songwriter with a résumé that includes work with Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and many others. On the morning of Dec. 25, the music-maker was up early to take his dog for a walk near his downtown Nashville home.
Malloy both lives and works on Second Avenue, where the bomb exploded.
The country producer heard the recorded warning emanating from the RV that would explode at around 6:30 that morning, he tells Nashville's News 2 (as reported by the New York Post), but before a police officer quickly moved him out of harm's way, Malloy didn't know the message meant immediate danger.
"The recording that I was hearing, I just assumed it was coming from the police car," the producer says.
After all, there's usually "not a quieter time downtown than Christmas morning," Malloy continues. But on this Christmas Day, the producer noticed "police cars at each corner with their lights on. And the guy from the 21c Hotel was running outside the building saying we've got to evacuate."
Then, there was an "officer was in the middle of the road of Second Avenue walking towards me, telling me to evacuate," Malloy adds. "I said, 'Why do I need to evacuate?' And right then — boom."
Thankfully, no one was killed in the blast, though it injured three people and caused massive amounts of damage to that area of downtown Nashville. Per the New York Times, investigating authorities now believe the explosion was a suicide bombing perpetrated by 63-year-old Anthony Warner.
"We were really, really fortunate that we didn't get hurt," Malloy remarks. "Myself and the officer, and two other officers standing out there, we were OK. It just obviously scared the crap out of us."
As for damage to his immediate surroundings, the producer noticed windows "blown out everywhere. The building right adjacent to ours, all of their windows in the front blew out — top, bottom and everything."
Still, Malloy calls his last-minute rescue a "Christmas miracle."
And as for his dog, the producer reports that the pup was "fairly unfazed by it, I'm hoping that she's OK."