Paris Carlock was just doing his job in the dead of night. The 55-year-old vendor from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, stepped inside the Sam’s Club on Antioch Pike early Sunday morning to stock chips and check store inventory. It was around 4:00 a.m., hours before the warehouse store opened to shoppers. He was standing near the middle of the building, surrounded by stocked shelves, focused entirely on his work.
Outside on the street, a dangerous situation was unfolding. An argument had broken out down the road at Lavo Lounge, where security guards stepped in and kicked several patrons out of the club. The dispute did not stop at the doorway. Instead, the fight spilled into the parking lot and onto Antioch Pike as people scattered toward their cars.
Shots rang out as multiple vehicles sped away from the lounge. One stray bullet traveled down the street toward the Sam’s Club building in the 1300 block. The projectile did not bounce off the exterior structure. It punched straight through the store’s metal side wall, entered the building, and struck Carlock in the head while he worked in the chip aisle.
Coworkers inside the warehouse heard the noise and rushed to see what happened. They found Carlock badly wounded on the floor and immediately called for help. Emergency crews responded to the scene, moved the injured Frito-Lay worker out to the parking lot, and loaded him into an ambulance bound for a local hospital. Doctors tried to save him, but he died shortly after arrival.
Investigators with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Homicide Unit confirmed that Carlock had no involvement in the fight down the street. He was simply an innocent worker completing an early morning shift behind closed doors when street violence tore through the wall. Detectives quickly secured the scene and began gathering evidence along Antioch Pike.
Corporate officials at PepsiCo, which owns Frito-Lay, issued a public statement offering deep sympathies to Carlock’s family and friends. Company representatives noted that they are working closely with local authorities on the ongoing murder investigation. Sam’s Club management also shared condolences and pledged full cooperation with homicide detectives.
Police are reviewing security cameras from nearby businesses and trying to track down every driver who sped away from Lavo Lounge. Detectives want to find out who pulled the trigger and which cars were involved in the getaway. Nashville Crime Stoppers is asking anyone with information to call 615-742-7463, offering cash rewards and full anonymity for tips.
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