Senseless Workplace Execution in West Nashville: U-Haul Employee Confesses After Guning Down Coworker Over a Drink
A routine workday at a West Nashville commercial facility turned into an unspeakable nightmare when a petty verbal dispute over a beverage erupted into calculated lethal violence. Fifty-six-year-old Fredrick Lytton, a dedicated father and longtime worker, lost his life after being ambushed from behind and shot multiple times in the back by a younger coworker. The brazen daytime execution, which unfolded inside the annex facility on Annex Avenue, left coworkers and local residents in profound shock while highlighting the terrifying speed at which minor workplace friction can cross the line into irreversible tragedy.
According to preliminary incident reports and homicide disclosures released by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the confrontation began as a trivial disagreement between Lytton and 23-year-old Devin A. Rice concerning a soft drink. As the verbal back-and-forth escalated, Lytton made the conscious decision to de-escalate the tension, turning his back on his colleague and walking away to return to his designated workstation. Believing reason had prevailed and that the petty dispute was firmly behind him, Lytton resumed his regular duties, entirely unaware that he was being targeted.
Instead of letting the argument subside, Rice allegedly stalked Lytton from behind, pulled out a concealed firearm, and opened fire without a single warning. Investigators stated that Rice emptied his weapon directly into Lytton’s back, denying the victim any opportunity to defend himself or react. Following the brutal barrage of gunfire, the shooter calmly put the weapon away, gathered his personal bag, and fled the facility into the surrounding streets before municipal emergency responders could arrive at the commercial property.
Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department rushed to the scene following frantic 911 calls from terrified witnesses, discovering Lytton unresponsive and suffering from catastrophic gunshot wounds. First responders administered immediate emergency trauma care at the scene before rushing the victim to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Despite the aggressive efforts of trauma surgeons and emergency medical staff, Lytton succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, plunging his family into sudden and devastating mourning.
A massive, coordinated manhunt was launched immediately by metropolitan homicide detectives, leveraging security camera footage, facility access logs, and witness statements to track down the fleeing suspect. Exactly 24 hours after the fatal ambush, law enforcement successfully located Devin Rice and took him into custody without incident. Transported directly to police headquarters for a formal interrogation, Rice confessed to detectives, confirming his involvement in the shooting and detailing how the argument over a drink preceded the fatal attack.
Following the confession and the recovery of critical physical and forensic evidence from the scene—including ballistic matches, digital surveillance captures, and the murder weapon—prosecutors formally booked Rice on a charge of criminal homicide. Representatives for the company expressed profound sorrow over the senseless loss, reiterating strict corporate policies that prohibit weapons on company premises. As the case prepares to move through the Davidson County criminal court system, family members and coworkers continue to remember Fredrick Lytton as a hardworking man whose life was tragically cut short over nothing at all.
