NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man armed with a pistol and knife was fatally shot by a security officer Thursday just inside the busy entrance of a federal courthouse in Tennessee’s largest city, authorities said.
The man in his 40s tried to fire his gun but failed and then pulled out a knife at around 9:30 a.m., 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 from out of state. Investigators didn't immediately know why he was at the courthouse, and a search of his car found “nothing threatening,” Aaron said.
Courthouse visitors must go through a security checkpoint, which is common at all federal courts. The entrances are typically staffed by armed former police officers contracted by the U.S. Marshals Service.
“That’s the entrance that most people in this courthouse use," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire told reporters outside.
The library next door was closed as a result, and officers with dogs were circling the perimeter while workers in nearby buildings gathered to watch.
McGuire noted that the local U.S. Attorney's Office is inside the courthouse, as are the offices of Tennessee's U.S. senators.
There have been “security instances where a person acts up or acts inappropriately and has to be removed from the premises, but nothing even approaching this kind of situation,” he said.
Reports of the shooting immediately stirred anxiety and concern.
“People are calling their families to let them know they're OK,” McGuire said. “I called my wife, called my son, called people that I knew were wanting to know if I was OK. We're all doing that.”
White reported from Detroit.
In this photo taken with a smartphone, law enforcement responds to a shooting at the federal courthouse, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Kristin Hall)
In this photo taken with a smartphone, law enforcement responds to a shooting at the federal courthouse, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Kristin Hall)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will not order a resumption of military strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections in the United States.
Trump, while stumping for Republicans this week, has hinted that he was confident that an endgame to the war could come in the days before or after the election, while also hinting that he remained open to resuming full-scale military operations against Iran.
For weeks, Trump has been threatening that a post-midterm election escalation in the seven-month-old war remains a viable option, despite his initial promises to Americans of a military campaign that would last a matter of weeks.
But Trump in a social media post on Thursday said the U.S. “will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”
Trump added that his team has been “having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Negotiations had appeared at a standstill since Trump late last month publicly rejectedIran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. met certain conditions.
Iran, however, said last week they had received a U.S. counterproposal. And Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said he expected Tehran would offer a formal reply within days.
Trump's post comes as the military has dispatched more resources to the region. U.S. officials have said a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and thousands of troops aboard it and accompanying ships could arrive as early as the end of October.
Trump’s announcement was made the same day the USS Abraham Lincoln was due to arrive to its home port in San Diego after a record-long deployment in support of the Iran war. There have been reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.
The USS George Washington, which is usually based in Asia, relieved the Lincoln in August. The other aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the USS George H.W. Bush, has been deployed for about six months, but it pulled into Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit several days ago.
President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival to the White House, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
