A man armed with a pistol was fatally shot Thursday at a security checkpoint inside a federal courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee’s largest city, police said.
The man, who was in his 40s, was shot after attempting to fire the weapon but failing, according to Don Aaron, a spokesperson for the Metro Nashville Police Department.
“The security individual fired on the armed individual,” Aaron said. The man was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police say a suspect was shot and killed during an attempted attack at the federal courthouse in Nashville on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026 (WVTV)
Authorities believed the man was from out of state, but they did not release details about why he was at the courthouse. The library next door was closed following the shooting.
Everyone entering the courthouse must pass through a security checkpoint.
“That’s the entrance that most people in this courthouse use,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire said.
Following the shooting, officers with police dogs patrolled the courthouse perimeter while employees from nearby buildings gathered along the streets to observe the scene.