( CNN ) -- A worker at the federal courthouse in Birmingham , Alabama , shot himself in the head Thursday , the U.S . Marshals Service said . The man walked into the chief clerk 's office at the Hugo Black U.S. Federal Courthouse `` mumbling about a will . He then put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger , '' CNN affiliate WBMA reported , citing a source inside the courthouse . The FBI confirmed the source 's report , WBMA said . The shooter was able to bring a gun inside the building because , as an employee , he used `` a different security entrance that has a different screening process , '' said Jill Ellis , administrative officer for the U.S . Marshals Service northern district of Alabama . Described only as a `` middle-aged white male , '' the shooter was taken to a local hospital after the incident . His condition was unknown , the marshals service said about 11 a.m. CT. Birmingham police are leading the investigation into the shooting , according to the same federal agency . The incident posed `` no threat to the federal courthouse , '' added the marshals service . CNN 's Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report .
NEW : The man could bring a gun inside because he was a court employee , an official says . The employee shot himself in the head , the U.S . Marshals Service says . The shooter -- described only as a `` middle aged white male '' -- was taken to a hospital .