John J. Diaz was a loving, caring, and hardworking young man with his whole life ahead of him. At 21 years old, the Hispanic man had been driving for DoorDash for over a year to earn a living. He was part of a close-knit family in Madison, Tennessee. His father, Juan Díaz, recalled that John would often take his younger brother, Alan, with him while making deliveries. They would go out for a few hours and always come back safe, never mentioning anything suspicious.
The evening of Thursday, October 15, 2026, began like many others. The family ate dinner together, and afterward, John told his father he was going to go out to make some deliveries and was taking 14-year-old Alan with him.
Around 7:45 p.m., John and Alan were in their black Infiniti sedan in the parking lot of the Birchstone Village Apartments in the 600 block of North Dupont Avenue. They were there to deliver food when they were suddenly ambushed. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, a male suspect approached the Infiniti on foot and began firing into the car. Moments later, two more men appeared, and one of them also opened fire on the vehicle. In a desperate attempt to escape the gunfire, John put the car in reverse, but it crashed into a nearby fence. The three assailants then fled the scene on foot.
The brutal attack left both brothers with devastating injuries. John J. Diaz was rushed to Skyline Medical Center, where he tragically died from his wounds. His younger brother, Alan, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to Vanderbilt Pediatric Hospital in critical condition. The news shattered the family. "He says 'Your sons had an accident,'" Juan Díaz said of the moment a police officer came to their door. "It shattered his soul to learn John died... We don't believe what is happening to us. One is not prepared for such a loss or news of this size."
Homicide detectives with the Metro Nashville Police Department responded to the scene and immediately began an investigation into what they described as a targeted ambush. Investigators confirmed they were working strong leads in their search for the three men responsible for the shooting. The Madison community is located just northeast of downtown Nashville and, like many urban areas, has contended with incidents of violent crime. The Birchstone Village Apartments complex itself had been the scene of a fatal shooting less than a year prior, in December 2025.
In the days following the shooting, John’s family was left to grieve one son while praying for a miracle for the other. A GoFundMe page was created to support them through the unimaginable tragedy. "As if losing John wasn't heartbreaking enough, his brother Alan was also shot in the head," the fundraiser stated. The family remembered John as a young man full of dreams who was dedicated to them. His father expressed gratitude for any community support, stating, "Only God will give us enough strength to continue."
As of late October 2026, the investigation into the murder of John J. Diaz remains active and ongoing. No arrests have been made, and the three suspects who fled the parking lot of the Birchstone Village Apartments are still at large. Metro Nashville Police homicide detectives continue to pursue leads. Authorities have asked for the public’s help and urge anyone with information about the shooting to come forward. A cash reward is being offered by Crime Stoppers for tips leading to an arrest. Callers can remain anonymous by contacting the tip line at 615-742-7463.
