Paris Carlock, 55, was conducting product inventory when gunfire outside sent a bullet through the warehouse store’s metal wall.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Frito-Lay employee working inside a Sam’s Club was killed early Sunday when a bullet from gunfire outside pierced the store’s metal wall and struck him as he conducted inventory, Nashville police said.
Police identified the victim as Paris Carlock, 55, of Murfreesboro. Carlock was working in the chip aisle near the middle of the South Nashville store when the bullet entered the building shortly after 4 a.m. Sept. 6. Sam’s Club employees rushed to help him before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The shooting has drawn attention because Carlock was not involved in the dispute that police believe produced the gunfire. He was inside the warehouse doing his job when violence outside the property reached through the building’s exterior wall. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department described him as an innocent victim and assigned homicide detectives to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Investigators said the gunfire appears to have followed an argument that began at Lavo Lounge on Antioch Pike, a short distance from the Sam’s Club. Police said people involved in the argument were removed from the lounge by security, but the dispute reportedly continued outside. Shots were heard while multiple vehicles were leaving the area.
At least one bullet traveled from the area of the gunfire and through a metal side wall of the Sam’s Club, according to police. Carlock was struck while working well inside the building. Authorities have not announced an arrest or publicly identified the person who fired the bullet that killed him.
Carlock worked for Frito-Lay, which is owned by PepsiCo. The company said it was deeply saddened by the death of a colleague and extended condolences to his family and loved ones. PepsiCo also said it was working with law enforcement and local officials as the investigation continued.
Sam’s Club said it was heartbroken by the incident and was cooperating with investigators. Local television footage and reporting from the day after the shooting showed additional security around the South Nashville store and repairs being made to the area of the wall where the bullet entered.
Shoppers who returned to the store Monday told local news outlets that they were saddened to learn Carlock had been killed while working. The shooting occurred during the early-morning hours, before the warehouse would ordinarily be filled with daytime shoppers, but employees and contractors were inside conducting work.
The circumstances underscore the unusual distance between Carlock and the dispute police say preceded his death. Authorities have not said Carlock had any connection to the people involved in the argument, and police have not released a motive for the gunfire beyond their preliminary finding that it followed the confrontation near the lounge.
Homicide detectives continue to pursue leads involving the gunfire and vehicles that left the area. Police have asked anyone with information about the shooting or the vehicles involved to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers. No arrests had been publicly announced as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated September 8, 2026.