The coworkers were repairing a home’s air-conditioning system when an outdoor dispute escalated into gunfire, witnesses and authorities said.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two HVAC technicians arrived at a Midtown home Tuesday for a routine air-conditioning repair, but the service call ended with one worker fatally shot, the other arrested and a residential street turned into a homicide investigation.
Larry Swindle died at a hospital after he was shot outside the Roland Street home shortly after 11 a.m. His coworker, 21-year-old Ashton Williams, was detained at the scene and later charged with voluntary manslaughter and three additional offenses.
The shooting disrupted an otherwise ordinary workday in the neighborhood. Residents said the technicians had been working on an air-conditioning unit before they heard an argument and a popping sound outside the home.
A homeowner told investigators that Swindle and Williams were working as technicians for Choates Heating and Cooling. The homeowner heard a verbal dispute, followed by a sound consistent with a gunshot, according to court records. When he went outside, he found Swindle wounded.
Williams told the homeowner that he had fired the shot, the records say. Williams also called emergency dispatchers and reported that he had shot his coworker. Police arrived to find Swindle lying on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound.
Emergency workers took Swindle to a hospital in critical condition. He later died from his injuries. Authorities have not disclosed further information about him, including his age, employment history or family.
Neighbor Dorothy Gibbs said the homeowner contacted her after the shooting and was screaming. Gibbs went outside as people gathered near the wounded worker. She described the scene as heartbreaking and said both men had started the day expecting to return home after work.
The precise cause of the dispute remains part of the investigation. Initial witness accounts described an argument involving work tools. Court documents also contain Williams’ statement that Swindle punched him, placed him in a chokehold and made threats during a physical confrontation.
Williams told homicide detectives that he returned to the company van after the fight. He alleged that Swindle followed him, continued making threats and raised a clenched fist. Williams said he then pulled out a gun and fired once. His account has not been tested in court.
Officers searching the work van found a handgun that had been reported stolen in Southaven, Mississippi, investigators said. They also found suspected marijuana in a backpack. Those discoveries led to charges of theft of property and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, in addition to the manslaughter and firearm charges.
Employees of Choates Heating and Cooling returned to the Roland Street property Wednesday, one day after the shooting. The company had not issued a public statement about the workers or the incident in the reports available Thursday.
A judge set Williams’ bond at $275,000 during his first court appearance. He also faces a charge of possessing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The allegations remain pending, and Williams is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Police continue to investigate how the workplace disagreement escalated and whether additional evidence supports or challenges the accounts given by Williams and witnesses. Authorities have not announced further arrests.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 6, 2026.