In the early evening of Sunday, March 1, 2026, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet at the intersection of Buchanan Street and Ed Temple Boulevard in Nashville, Tennessee. Twenty-one-year-old Joshua Holmes was behind the wheel of his car, driving through the area around 6:45 p.m., when the shots rang out. Struck by the gunfire, he lost control of the vehicle, which then veered off the road and crashed into a tree.
Emergency services transported him to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
A passenger in Holmes' vehicle, 21-year-old Devorus Phillips, was seen by witnesses running from the crashed car and hiding a bag in some nearby shrubbery. He remained at the scene and was questioned by Homicide Unit detectives. Phillips told investigators that he believed the shots had been fired from a white sedan that had driven past them. The bag Phillips had hidden was recovered by police and found to contain a pistol that had been illegally modified to be fully automatic, along with several bags of marijuana.
While the investigation into Joshua Holmes's murder is ongoing, Devorus Phillips was arrested at the scene. He faces charges of felony possession of a prohibited weapon, and a marijuana charge is also expected. Detectives are continuing to seek a motive for the shooting and are actively working to identify the person or persons responsible for Holmes's death. In the days following the incident, Metro police released information about a car they believe may be connected to the homicide. They are asking for the public's help in locating a silver 2020 to 2022 Honda Accord. Anyone with information regarding the shooting is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers, with the assurance that they can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
