The suspect followed Nathaniel Padgett from the Turnpike to a restricted Riviera Beach facility, police said.

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A FedEx driver was fatally shot April 16 outside a Riviera Beach distribution center after a highway road rage encounter followed him onto company property, police said in an arrest affidavit.

Nathaniel Padgett, 34, died after being shot multiple times at the FedEx hub at 1177 West Blue Heron Blvd. Tyler Brandon Vidro, of Boynton Beach, was arrested the next day and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated stalking. Investigators said the case turns on the movement of two vehicles, surveillance video from the FedEx property and the suspect’s own statements after the shooting.

The encounter began as Padgett drove a FedEx truck south from the Port St. Lucie area with his girlfriend in the passenger seat, according to police records. Investigators said Vidro pulled beside the truck on Florida’s Turnpike, lowered his window, shrugged his shoulders and raised his hand in what officers described as an attempt to provoke Padgett. Padgett kept driving, police said, and did not stop on the highway. His route continued toward the Riviera Beach facility, where he was expected to drop off the FedEx truck and leave in his personal vehicle. Police said Vidro continued behind him instead of breaking away from the dispute.

Surveillance footage later reviewed by investigators showed Padgett entering the FedEx property, followed shortly by a gray sedan police identified as Vidro’s vehicle. The rear parking and loading area was restricted private commercial property, open only to employees and authorized people, detectives wrote. Vidro parked in the middle of the lot, got out and moved near the loading bay doors, where police said he appeared to wait for Padgett. When Padgett came out and walked toward his personal Dodge pickup, Vidro confronted him and said, “You hit my car,” according to audio cited by police.

Padgett denied hitting Vidro’s vehicle and tried to get past him, the affidavit said. Investigators wrote that Vidro stayed close to Padgett as Padgett tried to reach the driver’s side of his pickup. Padgett then got back into the FedEx truck and drove to another part of the property, police said. Vidro followed him through the lot, and detectives said his tires could be heard screeching. Padgett stopped near a private road, got out and picked up a concrete block from the ground. Police described the block as about the size of a bowling ball.

Investigators said the video did not show Padgett throwing the block or raising it in a threatening way. He held it near waist level while telling Vidro he had not hit his car and objecting to being followed, detectives wrote. Moments later, gunfire erupted. Police said Padgett was hit seven times, including wounds to his chest, lower abdomen, arm and leg. The concrete block fell from his hands as he was struck. Shot detection technology also registered multiple gunshots from the FedEx property, and investigators later recovered nine 9 mm shell casings from the scene.

Padgett’s girlfriend called 911 at about 9:14 p.m. and reported that he had been shot. In the call, she told dispatchers they were at the FedEx warehouse and asked how soon help would arrive. A dispatcher told her not to move him and said emergency crews were on the way. Padgett was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at about 11:28 p.m., police said. The shooting left investigators with a timeline that began on the highway and ended inside a workplace lot where the suspect, according to police, had no lawful reason to be.

Vidro left the FedEx property after the shooting, police said. About 20 minutes later, West Palm Beach police received a call from him at a Sunoco gas station. He said he felt threatened and had used his firearm, according to police records. When asked whether he shot someone, he described the victim but gave limited details. Officers said Vidro also stated, “I didn’t think to call you guys, but the lawyer told me to.” After officers found him, read him his rights and discussed the shooting, police said he admitted that he had emptied the magazine of his firearm before requesting an attorney.

Police rejected Vidro’s self-defense claim in the affidavit. Investigators wrote that Florida’s stand-your-ground law applies to a person who is in a place where that person has a lawful right to be. Detectives said Vidro had followed Padgett to a restricted FedEx facility, entered a private area without authorization and pursued Padgett after Padgett tried to disengage. Police said Padgett, not Vidro, had legal standing to be on the property because he worked there and was completing his shift. The affidavit said Padgett had no duty to retreat from his own workplace area.

The charges now place the case in Palm Beach County’s criminal court system. Vidro faces allegations of premeditated murder and stalking, though the final path of the prosecution will depend on court filings, evidence review and any motions over self-defense, surveillance footage or police statements. Records cited in reports said Vidro made a first court appearance after his arrest. It was not immediately clear from the reports whether he had entered a plea. The next stage is expected to focus on the affidavit, video evidence, shell casings, witness statements and the legal meaning of Vidro’s presence at the facility.

Outside the legal file, the killing turned an ordinary route back to work into a public account of fear and confusion. The 911 call captured Padgett’s girlfriend pleading for help while dispatchers tried to keep her calm. Local residents interviewed after the shooting described aggressive driving as a familiar danger on South Florida roads. One resident, Dennis Booth, said many drivers rush, cut people off and ride bumper to bumper. For Padgett’s family and coworkers, the dispute ended not on the Turnpike but in the place where he was supposed to finish his workday.

The case stood as an active murder prosecution as of May 10, 2026. Investigators said the core evidence includes surveillance video, 911 audio, shell casings, witness statements and Vidro’s post-shooting call from the gas station.

Author note: Last updated May 10, 2026.