\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNew court records show the man accused of shooting and killing a FedEx employee told police it was self-defense. Tyler Vidro is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Nathaniel Padgett. According to court records, Vidro shot Padgett seven times in the FedEx parking lot before driving off. On April 16, 2026, officers with the Riviera Beach Police Department responded to a shooting on West Blue Heron Boulevard, the FedEx hub, where they found Padgett with multiple gunshot wounds. Padgett was rushed to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he died a short time later. Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsSuspect claims self-defense Less than 20 minutes after they responded to the shooting, court records show the West Palm Beach Police Department received a call from a man, identified as Tyler Vidro, who said he felt threatened for his life and that he had to use his firearm. According to the police report, Vidro told the dispatcher that the incident occurred at FedEx and spontaneously uttered, “I didn’t think to call you guys, but the lawyer told me to.” Court records show that when the dispatcher asked Vidro who he shot, he told them it was a Black male but could not describe his clothing.Investigators responded to the Sunoco gas station on 45th Street in West Palm Beach, where they found Vidro. Vidro told officers the firearm he had was inside his vehicle, and he had “emptied the magazine.” Vidro was transported to the Riviera Beach Police Station. Timeline leading up to the shootingPolice then interviewed Padgett’s girlfriend, who was in his vehicle at the time of the shooting. The woman told detectives that Padgett picked her up in his FedEx delivery truck in Port St. Lucie before they got on the turnpike and began heading south to Riviera Beach.Padgett’s girlfriend said the incident started in Port St. Lucie, while traveling south on the Turnpike, when a vehicle pulled alongside the FedEx truck. She said the man, identified as Vidro, then lowered his window and began shrugging his shoulders and raising his hand up, in an attempt to provoke a confrontation with Padgett. Court records show Padgett continued southbound on the turnpike, ignoring Vidro. As they were passing the Jupiter road sign on the Turnpike, Padgett’s girlfriend said they noticed that Vidro was still driving beside them. The woman told police they continued driving and did not engage with Vidro.According to police, the couple arrived at the FedEx hub, where they saw Vidro had followed them inside. The woman told police Vidro then exited his vehicle, enraged, and confronted Padgett before they began arguing. Detectives with the Riviera Beach Police Department obtained surveillance footage from the FedEx facility showing Padgett arriving at the facility in his work truck. According to the police report, Vidro’s vehicle was captured on camera following Padgett’s truck by about 21 seconds into the private lot. Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.According to detectives, Vidro is seen exiting his vehicle and was observed pacing around his car before making his way toward the loading ramp area, where Padgett’s truck had been observed on camera. Police say Vidro then positioned himself near the bay doors of the FedEx facility and appeared to be deliberately waiting for Padgett to exit the building. Court records show surveillance audio captured Vidro accusing Padgett of hitting his car as Padgett is seen attempting to move past Vidro toward his personal truck. Detectives say Vidro followed Padgett to the front of the truck, preventing Padgett from accessing his vehicle. In response to Vidro’s approach, investigators say Padgett told Vidro to go away before driving off. According to the police report, Vidro got back into his vehicle and accelerated after Padgett’s truck. Court records show additional security footage captured Vidro following Padgett before Padgett exited his truck and retrieved a concrete block. Investigators noted the block was about the size of a bowling ball. The shootingAccording to detectives, Padgett then approached the driver’s side of Vidro’s vehicle with the block in his hand and confronted Vidro by telling him he did not throw anything at his car. As Padgett was saying that, investigators say multiple gunshots were discharged in his direction, and the block dropped from his hands. Investigators also noted that before being dropped, the block was not visible in the footage, indicating it had been held at or near Padgett’s waist level throughout the encounter. According to court records, the block was not thrown and was not raised in a threatening manner prior to shots being fired. The police report shows Padgett is seen speaking, followed immediately by muzzle flashes and the block falling from a low position to the ground. Padgett was shot twice in the stomach, three times in the chest, once in the arm, and once in the calf. Investigators say Padgett fell toward the gravel surface, and Vidro immediately drove away from the scene at a high rate of speed. Stand Your Ground lawsThe police report also includes a response from detectives if a Stand Your Ground claim is raised on Vidro’s behalf. According to detectives, such a claim is not supported by the evidence collected and would not be supported by what their investigation revealed. According to the police report, Stand Your Ground laws only protect someone if they are in a place they have a lawful right to be. Detectives say the evidence gathered in this investigation shows Vidro was present at the FedEx facility without authorization. Detecrives noted the evidence shows Padgett’s circumstances are consistent with the protections afforded under the Stand Your Ground laws. Court records show Florida Statute \u00a7 776.012 does not extend its protections to a person who is the initial aggressor in a confrontation, and according to detectives, Vidro initiated the confrontation and pursued Padgett when he made repeated attempts to disengage. Investigators say the Stand Your Ground law does not protect a person engaged in criminal activity at the time force is used, and they maintain Vidro’s alleged actions are consistent with aggravated stalking.Vidro was booked in the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated stalking. He’s being held without bond. Law enforcement on road rage incidentsWPBF 25 News spoke with Lt. Indiana Miranda with the Florida Highway Patrol on what people should do if they find themselves in a similar incident on the road. “I ask everyone, do not engage. Do not make eye contact with that person. Do not respond to any gestures and do not attempt to, like we say, teach them a lesson, because the safest thing you could do is create distance,” she said. Miranda said if the person appears to be following you, it’s best to call 911 and be prepared to give them the vehicle’s make, model, and license plate number. “The first thing you do, don’t drive to your home because you don’t want to engage in your residence. Go to a safe public location, if you know the closest fire department or law enforcement agency within that exit, but also call 911. The Majority of our vehicles now have that Bluetooth feature. Call them while you’re driving and put them on Bluetooth so you can drive safely, and also let them know your whereabouts so they can locate you,” she said. She said the best thing to do is to avoid any sort of confrontation and get away from the aggressor as soon as possible. “Don’t try to engage. Don’t try to make gestures within your car because anybody could have a weapon,” Miranda said. Miranda said any sort of road rage isn’t worth it, and engaging can put innocent lives at risk. “It’s not worth it. Just for a traffic incident, it’s not worth your life,” she said. She said people can report an incident to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) by dialing *FHP (*347) from any mobile phone and in an emergency, dial 911.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tRIVIERA BEACH, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
New court records show the man accused of shooting and killing a FedEx employee told police it was self-defense. <\/p>\n
Tyler Vidro is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Nathaniel Padgett. According to court records, Vidro shot Padgett seven times in the FedEx parking<\/a> lot before driving off. <\/p>\n On April 16, 2026, officers with the Riviera Beach Police Department responded to a shooting on West Blue Heron Boulevard, the FedEx hub, where they found Padgett with multiple gunshot wounds. Padgett was rushed to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he died a short time later. <\/p>\n