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Armed man is shot dead by security at Nashville federal courthouse

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly right-leaning (80%).

5 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Metro police SUV and Road Closed sign at downtown Nashville street with yellow tape
Image via The New York TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

Police in Nashville said an armed man was shot and killed by a security officer on Thursday morning at the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building. According to police, the man tried to fire a pistol that did not fire, then pulled out a knife before he was shot. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified him as Jack Henson II, 42, according to the Associated Press. Police said they had not determined why he came to the courthouse, and a search of his car found nothing threatening. The library next door was closed.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Police said an armed man was shot and killed by a security officer on Thursday morning inside the federal courthouse in Nashville.

    Reported byLeft1Right1Far Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Right
    Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Fox News, RedState, The Epoch Times

  2. Police said the man tried to fire a pistol that did not fire, then pulled out a knife before he was shot.

    Reported byLeft1Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Right
    Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    RedState, The Epoch Times

  3. Police said the shooting took place around 9:30 a.m.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times

  4. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the man as Jack Henson II, 42.

    One outletThe Epoch Times· Far Right

  5. Police said they had not determined why the man was at the courthouse, and a search of his car found nothing threatening.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Whether the man was carrying out an attack at the courthouse.

    Fox News reports that police said he was attempting to carry out an attack. The Epoch Times, citing the Associated Press, reports that investigators did not immediately know why he was there and that a search of his car found nothing threatening.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    1 outlet

    The only left-side coverage is one New York Times report, whose headline makes the security guard the one who fatally shoots the man and whose description puts the failed gun and the knife first.

    Security Guard Fatally Shoots Armed Man at Nashville Federal Courthouse
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    4 outlets

    Right-side headlines lead with the armed man and his death, with Fox News citing police on an attempted attack, while RedState, rated Far Right, goes furthest by calling the guard “Heroic” and saying he “Saves the Day.”

    Armed man killed by security after entering federal courthouse in Nashville
    Washington ExaminerRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right2

    quick-thinkingHeroic

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    quick-thinkingMore neutral: security officer

    Describing the officer as quick-thinking adds praise that goes beyond the reported facts.

    A quick-thinking security officer at a federal courthouse in Nashville, TN, brought a swift end to…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    HeroicMore neutral: Security Guard

    Calling the guard heroic passes judgement on his actions before the full facts are established.

    Heroic Security Guard Saves the Day After Man Pulls Gun at Federal Courthouse in Nashville

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the security guard as the shooter
  • the failed pistol followed by a knife
  • the courthouse location

Leaves out

  • police description of an attempted attack
  • the identity of the man given by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

4 outlets

Leads with

  • the armed man with a pistol and knife
  • the security guard’s response
  • the attempted attack police described
See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Epoch TimesFar RightAssociated Press report

    Man With a Gun and Knife Is Fatally Shot by Security at Nashville Federal Courthouse, Police Say

    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.

    Read at The Epoch Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Armed man killed by security after entering federal courthouse in Nashville

    A man armed with a pistol and a knife was shot and killed by a security guard at a federal courthouse in Nashville on Thursday morning. The man has not been identified by police, but he was reportedly in his 40s and from out of state. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • RedStateFar Right

    Loaded modifier“Heroic”Calling the guard heroic passes judgement on his actions before the full facts are established.More neutral: Security GuardDisagree with this highlight? Security Guard Saves the Day After Man Pulls Gun at Federal Courthouse in Nashville

    A quick-thinking security officer at a federal courthouse in Nashville, TN, brought a swift end to a man's attempt to fire shots into it, according to local reports.

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Armed man shot dead after attempted attack inside Nashville federal courthouse, police say

    An armed man was shot and killed Thursday at the federal courthouse in Tennessee's largest city, police said. The incident took place as the man in question was attempting to carry out an attack, police said during a Thursday morning news conference. This is a developing story. …

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 8, 12:56 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    Fox News, Oct 8, 11:54 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Fox NewsFar RightOct 8, 11:54 AM EDT
  2. The New York TimesLeftOct 8, 12:56 PM EDT
  3. RedStateFar RightOct 8, 1:28 PM EDT
  4. Washington ExaminerRightOct 8, 4:19 PM EDT
  5. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 9, 11:59 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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