03/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/02/2026 15:06
Homicide Unit detectives are working to identify the motive and the persons responsible for Sunday night's fatal shooting of Joshua Holmes, 21, near the intersection of Buchanan Street and Ed Temple Boulevard.
The investigation shows that Holmes was driving a car in the area at 6:45 p.m. when witnesses heard shots. Holmes was struck, ran off the roadway and crashed into a tree. He was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died.
Following the crash, a passenger in Holmes' vehicle, Devorus Phillips, 21, was seen running across the street and hiding a bag in shrubbery. He remained on the scene. The recovered bag was found to contain a pistol that had been modified to make it fully automatic as well as several bags of marijuana. Phillips told detectives that he believed the shots were fired from a white sedan that drove past them. Phillips was arrested for felony possession of a prohibited weapon, with a marijuana charge expected.
Anyone with information on the fatal shooting of Joshua Holmes is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward of up to $5,000.