National Guardsman fatally shot by intruder at Tennessee armory

A 20-year-plus veteran of the Tennessee National Guard was shot to death on Wednesday by an intruder at an armory outside Nashville, and a man described as a "person of interest" in the case was detained hours later for questioning, authorities said.

The shooting occurred about 5 p.m. local time in the National Guard armory in Lobelville, a town in Perry County, Tennessee, about 75 miles southwest of Nashville.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh Devine said late Wednesday night that detectives were probing how the shooter gained access to the building, which is normally kept locked to outsiders for security reasons.

The victim was a sergeant first-class in the Tennessee Guard who was rushed to Perry County hospital but died of his wounds while being prepared for a helicopter flight to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, authorities said.

Authorities did not identify the detained man, but Devine said he was not a member of the Guard.

The Tennessee National Guard did not respond to requests for additional information.

The shooting prompted an intense manhunt in the surrounding area, and the sheriff's department cautioned residents to stay indoors and lock up their homes as a precaution.

The man being questioned was taken into custody at a house a short distance from the armory, about 3 1/2 hours after the shooting, Devine said.

[Image: Practicing self defense gun via Shutterstock]