Paris Carlock was just putting in his time on an early Sunday morning shift. The 55-year-old Murfreesboro resident worked as a Frito-Lay vendor, taking product inventory inside the Sam’s Club off Antioch Pike. Shortly after 4 a.m., he was standing in the middle of the store near the chip aisle, doing routine work he had done dozens of times before. He had no clue that trouble was brewing down the street.
Out in front of a nearby lounge, an argument broke out and quickly turned ugly. People pulled guns and started firing as cars sped away. One of those wild shots traveled across the asphalt, zipped right toward the bulk retail building, and punched through the metal siding. The bullet kept going and struck Carlock right in the head as he held his clipboard and inventory sheets.
Store staff and fellow workers ran to Carlock the moment they realized what had happened. They called 911 and did everything they could to keep him stable while waiting for help. Paramedics rushed him to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Emergency room doctors worked quickly to save him, but Carlock died from his injuries a short time later.
Police made it clear right away that Carlock was an innocent bystander. He was not part of the late-night crowd, had no connection to the fight, and was simply earning an honest paycheck inside a locked building. The sheer randomness of the shot left both law enforcement and retail workers stunned.
His employer issued a statement expressing grief over losing a dedicated member of their distribution crew. Executives from PepsiCo and Frito-Lay noted that they are offering support to Carlock’s family during this tough time. Company representatives are also working side by side with local investigators to review security tapes and help bring whoever fired the gun to justice.
Detectives with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Homicide Unit spent hours combing through the crime scene. They gathered shell casings from the street outside and mapped out the path the bullet took through the wall. Officers are currently reviewing traffic cameras and street surveillance to track down the vehicles involved in the shooting.
Back home in Murfreesboro, family members, friends, and neighbors are trying to process a tragedy that makes zero sense. Carlock was a hardworking man who went to work on a Sunday morning and never came home. His sudden death leaves a massive hole in the lives of everyone who knew him.
Leave a Reply