NEED TO KNOW
- Ashleigh McKinzie was found fatally shot on a road in DeKalb County, Tenn.
- McKinzie had taught classes on violence at Middle Tennessee State University
- Authorities said a man was on the scene when police responded to the scene and noted that he was cooperative with investigators
A Tennessee college professor was found dead on a road close to her home, with her loaded and cocked gun also found right next to her body.
Ashleigh E. McKinzie, 41, was discovered with multiple apparent gunshot wounds on Smithville Highway in DeKalb County, Tenn., according to the 13th Judicial District Attorney Bryant C. Dunaway.
The shooting was reported on the early morning hours of Dec. 4, according to the district attorney. When police responded, they found McKinzie’s handgun.
A man named Todd Stanton, 27, the D.A. said, was at the scene with his handgun on top of the hood of his vehicle. He has been cooperative with the investigation.
Authorities did not specify what Stanton’s connection to the incident is, only that he was present when deputies arrived.
No one has yet been charged in connection with the shooting, but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office are investigating, according to Dunaway.
McKinzie was an associate professor in the sociology and anthropology department at Middle Tennessee State University.
WZTV reported that prior to her death, McKinzie researched family violence during her academic career.
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“She had done a lot of studies into it — victims of sexual assault, victims of domestic abuse,” student Olivia Kilpatrick told the outlet.
McKinzie taught a class called “Violence in the Family,” according to the outlet.
McKinzie received a PhD from the University of Georgia, according to her page on MTSU’s website.
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