In the early hours of December 4, 2025, DeKalb County deputies responded to a shooting call along Smithville Highway near Captain’s Point Road, discovering 41-year-old Dr. Ashleigh E. McKinzie fatally wounded in the roadway from apparent gunshot injuries.
The associate professor in Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving her academic community reeling from the tragedy. Authorities recovered a loaded handgun belonging to McKinzie beside her body, with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation assisting in the ongoing probe.
The incident unfolded around 4:51 a.m. when a 911 call reported the shooting, drawing a swift response from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. A 27-year-old adult male, identified as Todd C. Stanton, was present upon deputies’ arrival and has been cooperating with investigators. No charges have been filed as forensic analysis continues to clarify the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter on the rural Tennessee highway.
Dr. McKinzie earned her PhD in sociology from the University of Georgia in 2017, focusing her dissertation on intersectionality and inequality in disaster recovery. She joined MTSU that same year as an assistant professor, advancing to associate professor and teaching courses on qualitative methods and social theory. Her research emphasized context-driven analyses of gender, race, and emotion in vulnerable populations, earning her recognition at national conferences.
Colleagues at MTSU remembered McKinzie for her collaborative spirit in department initiatives, including panels on ethnographic teaching and sexual harassment in fieldwork. She co-authored publications in journals like the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Health and Well-being. Her work bridged academia and public health, advocating for equitable recovery frameworks in underserved communities.
Beyond her scholarly pursuits, McKinzie balanced her career with a commitment to mentorship, guiding graduate students through interactive seminars on embodying ethnographic data. She resided in the Murfreesboro area, where she cultivated a modest family life centered on quiet evenings with her husband and two young children. Weekends often involved local hikes in the Cumberland Plateau, reflecting her interest in how environments shape social resilience.
MTSU’s Blue Raider community has extended sympathies to McKinzie’s family, activating counseling resources for affected students and faculty. As the investigation progresses, her legacy in sociology endures through the rigorous, empathetic scholarship she championed, inspiring a new generation to address inequality with nuance and compassion.