NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Tennessee family is mourning the loss of a man they say was devoted to his family, his work, and the people around him after police say he was killed by a stray bullet while on the job.
Paris Carlock, 55, was working inventory for Frito-Lay inside the Sam’s Club on Antioch Pike early Sept. 6 when gunfire erupted outside the store, according to Metro Nashville police.
Investigators say an argument connected to a nearby lounge escalated into a shooting around 4 a.m. One bullet traveled through the store’s metal wall and struck Carlock in the head. He later died at a hospital.
“To the people who loved him, he was far more than the victim of a shooting,” his daughter, Parris Carlock, said.
She described her father as a caring man who loved joking with people and checking on others, even strangers.
“He’s just a loving guy,” she said. “Love to joke. He’s always caring. Love to just ask — even if he didn’t know you — how you’re doing.”
Family members said Carlock was a Navy veteran, a devoted Dallas Cowboys fan and a father of three daughters whose life centered around work and family.
“Always trying to just be connected with anybody he comes in contact with,” Parris Carlock said. “He was just an all-around great guy.”
She said the randomness of the shooting has made the loss even harder to process.
“Just going to work, just working,” she said. “That’s what makes it so scary because you can’t even go to work, to church, to school. It’s really disgusting how this gun violence is. It just does not make any type of sense.”
As the family prepares to lay Carlock to rest, they are still waiting for answers from investigators.
“With all the cameras and everything with technology today, how is there nothing — no type of lead or anything?” she said. “I just wish somebody would come forward with something.”
Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting or the vehicles involved to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Tips can remain anonymous.
For Carlock’s daughter, accountability is about more than an arrest.
“All they had to do was walk away,” she said. “My father would have been home. That’s all they had to do.”
She said she hopes people remember who her father was before his name appeared in headlines.
“He was just all around a great guy, great to talk to, easy to talk to,” she said. “I just want them to remember how amazing he was. He was an amazing human being, and I don’t want anyone to ever forget that.”
The family has created a GoFundMe to help with Carlock's funeral expenses.
The investigation is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with information about the gunfire or the vehicles involved to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Calls can remain anonymous.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Every night, Forrest Sanders brings us stories showcasing the best of humanity. This story profiles, perhaps, Tennessee's most eccentric resident who made an impact on an aspiring journalist. I'm always in awe of Forrest's storytelling; I truly appreciated his vulnerability with this one.
- Carrie Sharp
