A Nashville firefighter was injured after being struck by a BB gun while on duty, according to a report that surfaced Wednesday. The incident adds another entry to a growing list of attacks and dangerous encounters facing Metro Nashville's emergency responders in recent years.
Details of the shooting remain limited. According to WKRN News 2, the firefighter was hit by a BB gun in Nashville, though the outlet's report does not specify the exact location of the call, the severity of the firefighter's injuries, whether the shot came from a moving vehicle or someone on foot, or whether Metro police have identified or arrested a suspect. Those questions remain open as of this writing.
A Pattern of BB Gun Incidents Across Nashville
The shooting fits into a broader run of BB gun and pneumatic weapon incidents that have rattled Metro Nashville this year. In June, Metro Nashville Police detained two juveniles following drive-by BB gun shootings on Commerce Street and 6th Avenue South downtown that injured two people and triggered a police helicopter search along Interstate 40; detectives had not yet said whether charges would follow, a case Hoodline covered in its report, downtown Nashville BB gun drive-by leaves two hurt.
Just weeks before that, in August, Metro Nashville Police arrested a 25-year-old man in Bellevue and charged him with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly cocked and pointed a BB gun at a bystander in a bar parking lot, Hoodline reported in a separate story. The report did not specify the applicable Tennessee charge for the alleged conduct.
Tennessee Law Sets Steep Penalties for Attacks on Responders
Assaults on firefighters and other first responders actively performing their duties already carry enhanced criminal penalties under Tennessee law. Under state law and the state's Back the Blue Act, enacted in July 2024, simple assault against a firefighter or first responder discharging official duties is classified as a Class A misdemeanor carrying a mandatory minimum 30-day jail sentence and a $5,000 fine, according to Police1.
Lawmakers have pushed to go further. In January, Tennessee legislators introduced Senate Bill 1941, which would elevate assault against firefighters and emergency medical personnel from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony, carrying a mandatory minimum 60-day jail sentence and a $10,000 fine, per BillTrack50.
Firefighters Have Faced Repeated On-Scene Dangers
This is not the first time Nashville firefighters have been targeted or endangered while responding to calls. In February 2024, a man was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a first responder after physically attacking a Nashville Fire Department firefighter with a syringe needle during an emergency call, according to KRDO.
In March 2025, a juvenile was injured and a Nashville Fire Department medic unit was struck by gunfire while emergency crews were responding to a call in the city, according to a report from WZTV FOX 17. And in October 2023, two Metro Nashville Fire Department ambulances were stolen in separate incidents on the same day while crews responded to medical calls, leading to police pursuits and collisions with other vehicles, as reported by FireRescue1.
A Department Still Mourning and Still Growing
The Nashville Fire Department operates 39 fire stations across Davidson County's 526 square miles, maintaining more than 1,500 active personnel alongside 33 24-hour advanced life support transport units, 40 engine companies, and 13 ladder trucks, according to Nashville.gov. The department has also been expanding its ranks, though the available sources do not verify the reported graduation details for Battalion 91 or Battalion 92.
The department is also still processing a recent loss. In March, 56-year-old Nashville firefighter Wayne Barry Jr. died after suffering an on-duty medical emergency at Fire Station 32 in the Hermitage neighborhood, a case Hoodline detailed in its story on the Nashville firefighter's overnight death. No further details about the BB gun shooting, including the identity or condition of the firefighter involved this week, had been released as of publication.
