Man arrested in death of Nashville nurse, shot and killed while driving to work

A 21-year-old man was arrested Friday morning in the slaying of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman, who was shot dead while driving to work, police said.

Devaunte Hill was arrested at his East Nashville apartment and is being charged with criminal homicide, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said at a Friday news conference.

"Hill gave a statement implicating himself in Caitlyn's murder," Drake said.

Hill did not know Kaufman, Drake said.

Kaufman, 26, was shot and killed on Dec. 3 while driving her gray Mazda SUV on I-440, the Metro Nashville police said. Kaufman was on the way to St. Thomas West Hospital for a 7 p.m. shift, police said.

Drake said the "major break" came after Nashville business owners offered a reward and a "concerned citizen" came forward Thursday afternoon identifying Hill as a suspect.

The concerned citizen gave information about the weapon and the gun was recovered Thursday night, Drake said. Ballistics experts found it to be a match to the scene, Drake said.

The investigation is ongoing and police said they are not ruling out the possibility of additional arrests.

St. Thomas Hospital West said Kaufman "was a dedicated and much loved member of our MICU (medical intensive care unit) team and a courageous healthcare hero who was graciously called to serve our patients with compassion and kindness."