Nashville tattoo shop owner 'lost everything' in Christmas Day RV explosion

ByHolly Schueler WABC logo
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Nashville staple destroyed in RV explosion on Christmas Day
A Nashville business owner 'lost everything' after an explosion rocked the city's downtown district on Christmas Day. Peter Gibson, who said he and his 9-month-old child were inside the shop just two days before the blast, says he's now trying to pick up the pieces and start over.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- People from around the country are donating money to help one Nashville family who lost their business in the RV explosion on Christmas morning.

Peter Gibson owns Pride and Glory Tattoo, a staple in Nashville since 2014. It was just feet away from the RV at the time of the blast. Gibson told ABC13 as he rushed to downtown Nashville and saw black smoke, he knew exactly where it was coming from. He said the first pictures he saw were of his destroyed shop.

READ ALSO: What the suspected bomber said to neighbor days before the explosion

Gibson also said on any other day, that street would be packed with people. He said it's a miracle no one was killed.

"It's very, very fortunate, to say the least. I'm down there every day, seven days a week. For years, I'm there. I put my heart and my soul into that place," Gibson said.

The business owner said the tattoo parlor is how he supports his family, his fiancée Rachel and their new son Beau.

"I'm trying to always be a positive person and try to always find the silver lining ... right now, I'm just one foot in front of the other and trying to keep my mental state healthy," he said.

People from across the country are hoping to help Gibson through a GoFundMe page that was set up for the business. One woman wrote on the page that even though she lives on the West Coast, she wanted to do her small part to help Gibson and his employees.

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