Nathaniel Padgett was just trying to finish his shift. The 34-year-old FedEx driver was heading back to his distribution hub in Riviera Beach on the night of April 16 — his girlfriend riding alongside him — when a stranger decided a minor highway dispute was worth following him for 40 miles. By the time it was over, Nathaniel had been shot seven times in the parking lot of his own FedEx workplace and was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s Medical Center before midnight.
Tyler Vidro, 24, of Boynton Beach is now facing first-degree premeditated murder and aggravated stalking charges. He is being held without bond at the Palm Beach County Jail.
40 Miles and Three Counties
The confrontation began on Florida’s Turnpike in Port St. Lucie, where the 34-year-old was driving his FedEx delivery truck southbound with his girlfriend as a passenger. Vidro pulled alongside the truck in his gray Hyundai Sonata, lowered his window, and began shrugging his shoulders and raising his hands in an apparent attempt to provoke a reaction. Nathaniel ignored him and kept driving.
Vidro kept following. The pursuit stretched south through St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties — past the Jupiter exit — before the driver pulled into the FedEx distribution facility on Blue Heron Boulevard in Riviera Beach shortly after 9 p.m. His plan was simple— drop off the delivery truck, switch to his personal vehicle, and go home. Vidro had other plans.
Waited Outside the FedEx Building
Surveillance footage captured Vidro following the FedEx truck onto the restricted private property just 21 seconds behind it. Rather than leave, Vidro exited his vehicle and positioned himself near the loading bay doors — waiting for Nathaniel to come back out of the building.
When the driver emerged and walked toward his personal truck, Vidro confronted him, claiming he had hit his car. Nathaniel denied it and made clear he was not going to fight at his workplace. He tried to drive away. Vidro followed, tires screeching across the FedEx lot.
The driver stopped on a private road at the edge of the property, got out, and picked up a concrete block roughly the size of a bowling ball from the ground. Surveillance footage shows him holding it at waist level while telling Vidro once more that he had not hit his car. He never raised it. He never threw it.
Vidro opened fire anyway.
7 Shots That Ended Nathaniel’s Life
The FedEx driver was struck seven times
- Three gunshot wounds to the chest
- Two to the lower abdomen
- One to his arm
- One to his leg
The concrete block fell from his hands as he was hit. ShotSpotter detected nine gunshots. Nine 9mm shell casings were recovered at the scene. His girlfriend called 911 immediately, desperately relaying information to dispatchers while speaking to Nathaniel. He was rushed to St. Mary’s Medical Center and pronounced dead shortly before 11:30 p.m.
A Self-Defense Claim the Evidence Dismantled
Vidro fled the scene at high speed. About 20 minutes later, he called West Palm Beach Police from a nearby Sunoco gas station and claimed self-defense — saying he feared for his life. He also admitted he had emptied the magazine of his firearm.
Police were not persuaded. The arrest affidavit methodically dismantles the self-defense claim, noting that Vidro had
- Initiated the confrontation on the highway
- Followed the FedEx driver onto restricted private property without authorization
- Deliberately waited outside the building to intercept him
- Pursued the driver’s vehicle when he attempted to leave
- Opened fire while surveillance footage showed no threatening movement from Nathaniel
Detectives also said there was no evidence of any damage to Vidro’s vehicle — the entire justification for the confrontation — mentioned anywhere in the arrest report.
A Community Rallying for Nathaniel
Nathaniel Padgett was a father and a working man who spent his last moments trying to avoid a fight. A GoFundMe established to help cover his funeral expenses has already raised more than $7,000, with friends, family and community members continuing to show up for his loved ones.
Vidro’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 17. It has not been confirmed whether he has entered a plea.
