On the evening of Sunday, March 1, 2026, 21-year-old Joshua Holmes was driving through the intersection of Buchanan Street and Ed Temple Boulevard in Nashville around 6:45 p.m. when gunfire struck his vehicle. He lost control, the car left the road and hit a tree. Holmes was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and pronounced dead from his injuries.

A 21-year-old passenger, Devorus Phillips, was seen running from the crash and hiding a bag in nearby shrubbery. Phillips remained at the scene and told Homicide Unit detectives he believed shots came from a white sedan that drove past. Police recovered the hidden bag and found a pistol that had been illegally modified to be fully automatic, plus several bags of marijuana. Phillips was arrested at the scene and faces felony possession of a prohibited weapon; a marijuana charge is expected.

Detectives are still seeking a motive and trying to identify the person or persons responsible for Holmes’s death. Metro police released a description of a silver 2020 to 2022 Honda Accord they believe may be connected and are asking the public to contact Crime Stoppers with information.

If anyone has information about Joshua Holmes, the shooting, or the silver Honda Accord, please share what you know.