Police are searching for three men after gunfire struck two brothers making food deliveries at a Madison apartment complex.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A 22-year-old man was killed and his 14-year-old brother was critically wounded after police said gunmen ambushed their car while the brothers were making food deliveries at an apartment complex in Madison, north of downtown Nashville.
The shooting happened about 7:45 p.m. Oct. 15 in the parking lot of Birchstone Village Apartments on North Dupont Avenue, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Police said one man approached the brothers’ black Infiniti sedan and began firing. Moments later, two more men walked toward the vehicle, and one of them also opened fire. All three fled on foot. Detectives said they were pursuing strong leads but had not announced arrests as of Tuesday.
The older brother was identified by his family as Jhon Diaz Santos, 22. Some later reports rendered his first name as John. His father, Juan Díaz, told WSMV that Santos had delivered food for DoorDash for more than a year and decided that evening to bring his teenage brother, Alan, along for the deliveries. The father said the brothers had gone out together on previous delivery runs without reporting anything suspicious.
Police initially said the deceased victim was tentatively believed to be 21 while the Medical Examiner’s Office worked to confirm his identity. The family subsequently identified Santos as 22. Authorities said the younger brother was taken to Vanderbilt Pediatric Hospital in critical condition. His father told WSMV that the 14-year-old had been shot in the head. Later reports said he remained critically injured.
Investigators said Santos tried to escape after the shooting by backing the Infiniti out of its parking space. The car crashed into a nearby fence. Santos was taken to Skyline Medical Center, where he died. Police said the three men involved in the shooting ran from the scene. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex became part of the homicide investigation.
The brothers’ parents said they had been eating dinner together before Santos left to make deliveries. Juan Díaz said his older son told the family that Alan would accompany him that night. The father later learned something had happened when a police officer came to the family’s home. He initially believed his sons had been involved in a traffic crash before learning that both had been shot.
Family members described Santos as hardworking and focused on his future. A fundraising page created for the family described him as loving and caring and said relatives were mourning his death while hoping for his younger brother’s recovery. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive for the shooting or said whether the brothers knew the attackers.
The deadly gunfire also affected residents and organizations connected to Birchstone Village Apartments. The complex opened in 2025 as part of an effort involving housing and community groups to provide homes for families seeking more stable living conditions. A community event that had already been scheduled for the weekend after the shooting went forward as planned, with organizers saying they wanted residents, particularly children, to have a place to gather after the violence.
Police have characterized the investigation as active and said detectives were reviewing evidence and pursuing leads involving the three men seen approaching the victims’ vehicle. The department has not announced the suspects’ identities or released a confirmed explanation for why the brothers were targeted.
As of the latest public reports, police were still searching for those responsible for the shooting, while Santos’ 14-year-old brother remained hospitalized in critical condition. No arrests had been publicly announced, and the motive remained under investigation.