Frito-Lay Worker Killed Inside Sam's Club by Stray Bullet Fired During Fight Outside Store

A Frito-Lay employee was killed inside a Sam's Club in Nashville after a stray bullet fired during an argument outside the store pierced a metal wall and struck him while he was working.

Paris Carlock, 55, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was conducting product inventory in the chip aisle of the warehouse store around 4:00am Sunday when he was struck in the head, according to ABC News and its local affiliate WKRN.

The Metro Nashville Police Department said the bullet travelled through a side metal wall of the Sam's Club on Antioch Pike before hitting Carlock.

First responders found him in the parking lot and rushed him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have opened a homicide investigation into the shooting.

Gunfire Reportedly Followed Bar Argument

Investigators believe the shooting may have been connected to an argument at a nearby bar.

According to police information reported by WKRN and cited by ABC News, an altercation took place at Lavou Lounge, which is located close to the Sam's Club.

Security staff reportedly removed several people from the establishment after the argument. However, police said the dispute continued outside the bar.

Shots were then reportedly heard as vehicles were leaving the area.

One of the bullets travelled toward the nearby warehouse store and entered through its side wall, ultimately striking Carlock while he was inside carrying out his work duties. Police have not said that Carlock was involved in the dispute, and there is no indication that he was the intended target.

The circumstances have left investigators trying to determine who fired the fatal shot and identify the vehicles involved.

Frito-Lay Worker Was Simply Doing His Job

Carlock's death has drawn attention because he was not involved in the reported argument and was apparently killed by a bullet fired some distance away.

He had been working overnight inventory when the shooting occurred.

PepsiCo, which owns Frito-Lay, confirmed the death and expressed condolences to Carlock's family and loved ones.

'We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our colleagues,' the company said in a statement, adding that it was working with law enforcement and local officials.

Sam's Club also issued a statement expressing sympathy for those affected and said it would continue cooperating with investigators.

The shooting highlights the unpredictable danger posed by gunfire in public areas, particularly when disputes that begin elsewhere spill into surrounding streets and businesses.

Police Appeal for Information

The Metro Nashville Police Department's Homicide Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding Carlock's death.

Authorities are particularly interested in information about the shooting and the vehicles that were in the area when the shots were fired.

Police have asked anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could help identify those involved to contact Crime Stoppers. Anonymous tips are eligible for a cash reward, according to authorities.

Investigators have not announced an arrest in connection with Carlock's death.

For his family and colleagues, the tragedy has raised painful questions about how an argument outside a nearby bar could end with an employee being killed while simply doing his job.

As police work to establish who fired the fatal shot, the investigation is now focused on reconstructing the events that unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning and determining how the bullet travelled from the dispute outside to the warehouse store where Carlock was working.