NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After a Nashville nurse was found shot dead on I-440, her family spoke out about her death this weekend.
Caitlyn Kaufman was on her way to work an ICU shift at Saint Thomas West Thursday evening.
At 8:52 p.m., police found a gray Mazda CX-5 SUV stopped on the shoulder between Hillsboro Road and West End Avenue. Kaufman was found dead inside and bullet holes were in the SUV.
Her family is from Pennsylvania. On Saturday night, her parents are in Nashville talking to detectives.
In a statement to NBC Nashville affiliate News4, Caitlyn's aunt Glenda Lee Kaufman said:
"Caitlyn was such a loving and caring young lady. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She would do anything for anyone and not think another word about it. She loved living and working in Nashville. That was her dream, to move to Nashville. We are all so devastated over this. Just seems so unfair and unreal. We pray the person/ or persons who did this get caught. If anyone knows or seen anything please let the police know. One day the person who did this will stand before our Maker and he will pay the ultimate price."
Nashville Mayor John Cooper shared a message to the Kaufman family. Copper told News 4 Metro Police are making this case a priority.
"It gives us all pause and concern and our thoughts are so with her family," Cooper said. "It's completely shocking and we need this crime to be solved."
Officials believe the shooting happened sometime between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Kaufman was reportedly on her way to work for her 7 p.m. shift.
Police ask anyone who was driving on I-440 last night with any information to call police at 615-742-7463.
Kathleen Murphy, Metro Nashville Councilwoman for District 24, told News4 that Metro Council has taken notice to an increase in road-related violence, even forming a committee to look at preventative measures like license plate readers and community-based education and outreach to get to the causes of the violence.
Kaufman is the third nurse from St. Thomas West Hospital killed since 2016.
Officials with St. Thomas West Hospital said they were " devastated to learn of the tragic and sudden passing of" Kaufman.
"She was a dedicated and much-loved member of our MICU team and a courageous healthcare hero who was graciously called to serve our patients with compassion and kindness. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and you, her colleagues, as we all grieve her heartbreaking passing."
Grief counseling is being made available for her coworkers. There are also chaplains and other support resources at Ascension Saint Thomas.
The shooting comes three years after Tiffany Ferguson was fatally stabbed inside her condo.
The 23-year-old died after being stabbed during the early morning hours at Wedgewood Park condos on Feb. 28, 2017.
Christopher McLawhorn was sentenced to life in prison in November 2018 in the death of Ferguson.
McLawhorn was sentenced to life in prison in November 2018.
In 2016, the body of Ashley Brown was found at a trash disposal site December 2016.
Brown was supposed to head home to Tucson, AZ for Christmas when she went missing.
The death of Brown is still an open case by the Metro Nashville Police Department.
