Stray bullet kills Frito‑Lay employee at Nashville Sam’s Club

It was just after 4 a.m. on Sunday when a sudden report of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Sam’s Club warehouse on Antioch Pike in Nashville. A bullet slammed through the side metal wall of the store and, as if by cruel accident, struck a man standing in the chip aisle.

The victim was identified by police as Paris Carlock, 55, a longtime Frito‑Lay employee from Murfreesboro. He was doing a routine product inventory when the stray round hit him in the head. First responders found Carlock slumped in the parking lot and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our colleagues,” PepsiCo, the parent company of Frito‑Lay, said in a statement. “Our sincere condolences are with their family members and loved ones.” The company added that it is cooperating fully with investigators.

The Metro Nashville Police Department’s Homicide Unit has opened an investigation. Early clues point to a heated argument that erupted at the Lavou Lounge, a bar just across the street from the Sam’s Club. Security escorted the two men out, but the disagreement apparently continued outside, and witnesses say shots were fired as vehicles drove away.

A Sam’s Club spokesperson expressed the same heartbreak, promising to work closely with law‑enforcement as the case unfolds. Police are asking anyone who saw the incident, heard the gunshots, or has information about the vehicles involved to call Crime Stoppers at (615) 742‑7463. Tips can be submitted anonymously and may qualify for a cash reward.

The tragedy has left coworkers, neighbors, and the broader Nashville community reeling, underscoring how a single, wayward bullet can change lives in an instant.