A Butler County native was shot and killed in Nashville on Thursday as she drove to her shift as an intensive care nurse, authorities and family members said.
Caitlyn Marie Kaufman, 26, was found dead in her SUV along the shoulder of I-440 west shortly before 9 p.m., according to a release from Nashville Police.
Kaufman grew up in Chicora and graduated from Butler Senior High School before attending Clarion University, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV. Her family told the TV station that moving to Nashville had been a lifelong dream.
“Our hearts are shattered,” her mother told the station.
Nashville police said they believe the shooting that killed Kaufman likely happened between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Kaufman was on her way to a 7 p.m. shift at St. Thomas West Hospital, police said. Her Mazda SUV was found between the Hillsboro Road and West End exits.
The gunfire that killed Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman, 26, on I-440 Thursday night likely occurred btwn 6 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. She was on the way to work at St. Thomas West Hospital for a shift that began at 7 p.m. See unusual activity on I-440 Thur evening? Pls call 615-742-7463. https://t.co/9OVWugzast
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 4, 2020
A Metro Parks police officer, believing he came upon a single-car crash, discovered Kaufman about 8:52 p.m. A release from Nashville police indicated multiple shots were fired into the vehicle, and The Tennessean reported Kaufman was shot once.
The outlet reported that a police spokesman said the nurse died quickly from her wounds but her body remained undiscovered in the car for several hours.
Kaufman graduated from Clarion in 2016, where she was a member of the school’s dive team, according to a statement from the university’s athletic department.
“Caitlyn embodied all of the characteristics of a model student-athlete while a member of the women’s swimming and diving team,” the statement read. “She was a tenacious competitor, a supportive teammate and a dedicated student.”
— Clarion Golden Eagles (@ClarionEagles) December 4, 2020
