On Thursday, October 8th, a gunman attempted to open fire inside a federal courthouse in Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, and was subsequently shot and killed by court security personnel.
According to the Associated Press, the incident took place in the lobby of the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse in downtown Nashville.
Around 9:30 a.m. that day, a man in his 40s from out of state entered the courthouse lobby, pulled out a gun, and attempted to fire, but the gun jammed. He then pulled out a knife.
A security officer on duty at the public entrance immediately shot at the man. No one else was injured at the scene.
The injured gunman was later taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment, but succumbed to his severe injuries and was pronounced dead.
The security officer who fired the shots was employed by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Following the incident, law enforcement officers swiftly secured the scene and implemented heightened security measures at the building. The adjacent library was closed, and officers with K-9 units patrolled the perimeter. Many employees from nearby buildings gathered outside the courthouse to observe.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. Investigators searched the car of the gunman, who was armed with a gun and a knife, but did not find any “threatening items,” according to Don Aaron.
Aaron noted, “The man was not a litigant at this courthouse nor was he on the list of attendees for today’s hearings.” As of Thursday evening, the police had not released the identity of the gunman.
The FBI, ATF, and Nashville Metro Police are continuing to investigate the background of the gunman, as per Aaron. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe into the shooting. Carley Gordon, the deputy director of communications for TBI, confirmed the agency’s involvement at the request of District Attorney Glenn Funk and the U.S. Marshals Service, and stated that more information will be released as it becomes available.