SMITHVILLE, Tenn. (WGNS) - A pre-dawn shooting along Smithville Highway is under active investigation after deputies discovered an MTSU faculty member fatally wounded in the roadway early Thursday morning.

Authorities were called to Highway 56 North near Captain’s Point Road at about 4:51 a.m. on December 4. Deputies found 41-year-old Dr. Ashleigh E. McKinzie, a professor in Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, lying in the roadway with gunshot injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A loaded and cocked handgun registered to her was recovered beside her body.

A 27-year-old man, who remained at the location when deputies arrived, also had a firearm at the scene. Investigators say his handgun was discovered on the hood of his truck, and he has been cooperating with authorities.

13th Judicial District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway requested assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which joined deputies in gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. Dunaway said no charges have been filed as investigators work to determine how the shooting occurred and what events led up to it.

MTSU issued a statement expressing sorrow over McKinzie’s death and urged students, staff, and faculty to access available campus counseling services as the community processes the loss.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to analyze evidence and review the circumstances surrounding the incident.