NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man armed with a pistol and knife was fatally shot Thursday just inside the busy entrance at a federal courthouse in Tennessee’s largest city, authorities said.
The man in his 40s was killed by security after he tried to fire his gun but failed and then pulled out a knife, said Don Aaron, spokesperson for Metro Nashville Police.
“The security individual fired on the armed individual,” Aaron said, adding that the man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The man was believed to have been from out of state. No details were released about why he was at the courthouse. The library next door was closed as a result of the shooting.
Courthouse visitors must go through a security checkpoint.
“That's the entrance that most people in this courthouse use,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire said.
After the shooting, officers with dogs were circling the perimeter and workers in nearby buildings were gathered on streets to watch the scene.
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White reported from Detroit.
