In the early morning hours of September 24, 2017, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace at the Maple Crest Apartments in South Nashville, Tennessee, leaving two men dead in a targeted attack. One of the victims was 34-year-old Hector Pagada, a Hispanic male, who was seated in a black Lincoln MKS sedan alongside 18-year-old Yeri Gabino. The two men were ambushed when assailants emerged from a white Chevrolet Traverse that had pulled up and blocked their vehicle in the parking lot.
The gunmen opened fire, striking Pagada and Gabino multiple times before fleeing the scene. Both men succumbed to their injuries at the scene of the shooting.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led Nashville detectives to their first suspect. On September 28, 2017, police arrested 23-year-old Oscar Delgado-Flores of Smyrna. During questioning, Delgado-Flores admitted to his role in the killings, confessing that he was the driver of the white Chevrolet Traverse that transported the shooters to the apartment complex and served as their getaway vehicle. He was subsequently charged with two counts of criminal homicide for his involvement in the deaths of Pagada and Gabino.
While the driver was in custody, the man believed to be the gunman remained at large. Authorities identified the primary suspect as 20-year-old Luis Colindres-Varela. Despite the arrest of Delgado-Flores, the Nashville Police Department's investigation into the motive behind the targeted killings continued, with investigators anticipating more arrests in the case. The community was left to mourn the violent and untimely deaths of two of its members as the search for at least one of the accused killers continued.
