Armed man fatally shot at Nashville courthouse, police say

A man armed with a pistol and a knife was shot to death Thursday just inside the busy entrance at a federal courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., authorities said.

Don Aaron, the spokesperson for Metro Nashville Police, said during a news conference live streamed by WSMV that the man in his 40s was killed by an individual working security after he tried to fire his gun but failed and then pulled out a knife. The security individual shot the armed man, Aaron said, adding that the man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The man did not get past the security checkpoint, according to Aaron. The security person who shot the man worked with the U.S. Marshals Service, but was not necessarily a member of the service, according to officials.

Officials said the suspect was from out of state, but no details were released about why he was at the courthouse. His vehicle was examined by both human and canine officers and was determined not to be a threat, according to Aaron.

Aaron said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation would continue looking into the incident.