Javier Jr. Pedroza

A night out with a friend ended in tragedy for Javier Jr. Pedroza, a 23-year-old man from La Vergne, Tennessee, in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 2, 2017. The young man, a White / Caucasian male who was remembered by acquaintances as funny and always smiling, had attended either Antioch or LaVergne High School. His life was cut short by a sudden burst of gunfire in a Nashville parking lot, a crime that also claimed the life of his friend.

That night, Pedroza and his friend, 19-year-old Juan Alexander Rodriguez of Murfreesboro, were at the Island Vibes restaurant on Antioch Pike. The establishment was operating as an after-hours club called La Mansion Hall. According to reports from the Metro Nashville Police Department, an altercation involving Pedroza and Rodriguez broke out inside the club’s restroom. Following the dispute, security staff removed both men from the building.

Shortly before 5:00 a.m., Pedroza and Rodriguez were walking through the parking lot at 1326 Antioch Pike, heading toward Pedroza’s blue Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. As they made their way across the lot, a small, silver-colored car approached them. Multiple gunshots were fired from the vehicle, striking both Pedroza and Rodriguez. The silver car then sped away from the scene, leaving the two young men critically wounded.

Emergency services were called to the chaotic scene, but the injuries were too severe. Javier Jr. Pedroza and Juan Alexander Rodriguez both succumbed to the multiple gunshot wounds they sustained in the ambush. They were pronounced dead, turning a parking lot dispute into a double homicide investigation.

Detectives from the Metro Nashville Police Department’s South Precinct immediately began piecing together the events of the morning. The investigation has centered on the initial fight inside La Mansion Hall as the likely catalyst for the deadly shooting that followed. Authorities believe the occupants of the silver car were connected to that earlier confrontation. The car was reportedly seen parked across the street just before the shooting, suggesting the attack may have been a targeted act of retaliation.

In the years since the murders, the investigation has continued, but no arrests have been made. The case is now considered a cold case, handled by Metro Nashville’s Cold Case Homicide Unit. Detectives have not publicly identified any specific suspects or persons of interest, and the identities of those inside the small silver car remain unknown. The weapon used in the killings has not been recovered.

The families of Javier Pedroza Jr. and Juan Rodriguez have been left without answers or justice for the violent loss of their loved ones. The case remains open and active as of November 2026. Investigators continue to seek information from the public that could lead to a breakthrough. Anyone with information regarding the murders of Javier Pedroza Jr. and Juan Rodriguez is urged to contact the Cold Case Homicide Unit directly at [email protected]. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Nashville’s Crime Stoppers Division at 615-742-7463.