Man With Gun and Knife Fatally Shot by Security at Nashville Courthouse
A man armed with a gun and a knife was shot and killed by a security officer Thursday morning at the federal courthouse in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, police said.
The shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. just inside the busy entrance of the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building on Church Street. No one else was reported hurt.
What Police Say Happened
According to Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron, the man pulled out a pistol and tried to fire it, but the gun did not go off. He then pulled out a knife, and a courthouse security officer opened fire, the Associated Press reported.
The man was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died. Police said he never made it past the building's security checkpoint.
Authorities have not released his name. Police described him only as a man in his 40s from out of state who has ties to Nashville. Investigators did not immediately know why he came to the courthouse, and no motive has been released.
Officers and K-9 units searched the man's car and found "nothing threatening," Aaron said. Police did not say why the pistol failed to fire or where the man got the weapons.
Who Is Investigating
Because the shooting took place on federal property, Metro Nashville Police first said federal authorities would lead the investigation. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation later said it would take the lead, according to WSMV.
Investigators were speaking with courthouse security staff about what happened in the moments before the shooting. The officer who fired has not been identified, and officials have not said whether the officer was placed on leave, which is common after shootings involving law enforcement.
Entrances to federal courthouses are typically staffed by armed former police officers who work under contract with the U.S. Marshals Service. Officials have not said whether the officer involved Thursday was one of those contractors.
A Busy Building on Edge
Police taped off the area around the courthouse, and officers with dogs circled the building's perimeter. The Nashville Public Library's downtown Main Library, which sits next door, was evacuated. Workers from nearby buildings gathered outside to watch as the scene unfolded.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire said the shooting happened at "the entrance that most people in this courthouse use." He said the news caused immediate anxiety inside, adding, "People are calling their families to let them know they're OK."
The courthouse is used every day by judges, lawyers, staff and members of the public. Opened in 2022, the 275,000-square-foot building has eight courtrooms and houses the local U.S. Attorney's Office, the U.S. Marshals office, probation services and offices for Tennessee's two U.S. senators. It is named after the late actor and senator Fred Thompson.
"First Time" for the Courthouse
A police spokesperson said, "This is the first time anything like this has happened at this courthouse."
McGuire said past security incidents at the building involved people who "act up or act inappropriately," but nothing "even approaching this kind of situation."
Courthouses across the country have seen their share of frightening moments in recent years. In August, gunfire erupted near a Las Vegas courthouse around the time Tupac Shakur's family was leaving for a lunch break during the murder trial of the man accused in the rapper's killing. Authorities did not immediately say whether that shooting was connected to the trial.
For now, many questions remain, including who the man was and what may have led him to the Nashville courthouse. Officials have not said when they expect to release more details. The investigation is ongoing.
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