Man Fatally Shot at Nashville Courthouse Checkpoint

A security officer fatally shot an armed man at a checkpoint inside Nashville’s Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and Courthouse on Thursday after the man tried to fire a pistol that did not discharge and then drew a knife, police said. The man was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron said the man, who was in his 40s and from out of state, approached the courthouse entrance screening area at about 9:30 a.m. The pistol failed to fire, Aaron said, and the man then pulled out a knife. A security officer opened fire, according to the police account. Authorities had not released the man’s identity or established his motive in the initial reports. Police also had not said why he was at the courthouse or whether he had a specific target. The shooting occurred before he passed the checkpoint, officials said. The man’s reported connection to the U.S. Marshals Service was disputed. One report identified him as an out-of-state U.S. Marshal, while other reporting said he was not a deputy marshal and that the security officer worked in coordination with the service. The supplied accounts did not establish the man’s official affiliation.