Incident details
- Updated on
- Date of incident
- May 2, 2023
- Targets
- WHBQ-TV
- Equipment damaged
- Actor
- Private individual
Equipment Damage
Man who fired gun into Memphis newsroom sentenced to prison
A man who fired a shot from an AR-style rifle into the WHBQ-TV newsroom in Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on April 8, 2026, to five years in prison.
In May 2023, Jarrad Nathan walked to the front of the station’s building, attempted to open the door multiple times, then shot through the glass toward security officers at the front desk.
Nathan then fled and barricaded himself in a nearby restaurant, where he went live on Facebook and reiterated that he wanted to talk to WHBQ employees, WMC-TV reported. Negotiators were able to disarm him and Memphis Police Department officers took him into custody.
No injuries were reported at WHBQ. The station said that the front door was outfitted with ballistic glass, which prevented it from shattering.
Nathan pleaded guilty and was sentenced in April 2026 to five years in prison for each of two aggravated assault charges, three years for vandalism and one year for reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, according to court records reviewed by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. The sentences will be served concurrently.
Man charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment after shot fired into FOX13 Memphis newsroom
The Memphis Police Department identified the man accused of shooting into the FOX13 Memphis newsroom on May 2, 2023, as Jarrad Nathan. According to a post on the department’s Facebook page, Nathan is charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
FOX13 reporter Dakarai Turner tweeted security footage from inside the newsroom, which shows a man attempting to open the station’s door multiple times, shooting through the glass toward security officers at the front desk, then trying to open the door again.
FOX13 reported that the front door requires a key card to access and is outfitted with ballistic glass, which prevented it from shattering.
Nathan appeared for an initial hearing on May 3, where a judge issued him a $250,000 bond for the two charges stemming from the incident, FOX13 reported. He was also given a $25,000 bond for an unrelated aggravated assault charge from March. Nathan is scheduled to appear for a hearing on May 17, following a mental health evaluation.
A man fired a shot from an AR-style rifle into the FOX13 Memphis newsroom on May 2, 2023, according to reports from the outlet, but no injuries were reported. Employees were evacuated to a back parking lot for approximately 30 minutes before being allowed back into the building.
FOX13 reported that at around 11:30 a.m. a man approached an employee wanting to talk, and showed the employee that he was carrying a gun. The employee ended the conversation and left, after which the man walked to the front of the building and fired a single shot. The gunman then fled and barricaded himself in a nearby restaurant.
FOX 13 reporter Shelia O’Connor posted on Twitter at 1 p.m. that no employees or staff members were hit or injured during the incident.
Another FOX13 reporter, Dakarai Turner, tweeted that negotiators were able to disarm the gunman and Memphis Police Department officers took him into custody. The department, which did not immediately respond to a request for additional information, confirmed on Twitter that the suspect had been arrested.
When reached for comment, FOX13 directed the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker to the voicemail of general manager, Kyle Krebs.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
