Nashville police: No leads or suspect in ‘senseless’ shooting of city employee – The Tennessean
Nashville police: No leads or suspect in ‘senseless’ shooting of city employee The Tennessean
George Carpenter, 71, an employee of the Shelby Golf Course in East Nashville, was gunned down in the course parking lot as he left work on Sunday night.
Police said Monday they have no leads, no suspect and no motive in the investigation of a “senseless” killing of an elderly city employee who was gunned down outside a East Nashville golf course over the weekend.
George Carpenter, 71, was shot about 20 paces from the front of the Shelby Golf Course as he walked to his pickup truck at about 7 p.m. on Sunday. Co-workers who heard the gunfire rushed outside, finding Carpenter dying in the parking lot as a unidentified vehicle slowly drove away.
Police spokesman Don Aaron said Carpenter’s wallet was intact and his truck was undisturbed, so police have not been able to identify a motive for the shooting. Lead investigator Mike Windsor said police had no solid leads and no suspect as of Monday afternoon, which is a “worst case scenario.”
“It could have been something personal. It could have been an attempted robbery gone bad,” Windsor said.
Several police officials referred to the shooting as an unusual crime in the normally peaceful area around the golf course. David Imhof, commander of the east precinct, said officers would now perform extra patrols in the area. Windsor encouraged the public to contact police if they heard any chatter about the shooting.
“It’s typical that when someone commits such a crime as this, they will talk about it,” Windsor said. “We are hoping that someone has heard this talk and will do the right thing and call it in.”
Police have not said where or how many times Carpenter was shot. There are no security cameras in the golf course parking lot that would have recorded the shooting.
The golf course is expected to be closed for the next two days out of respect to Carpenter. On Monday afternoon, a small wreath lay in the parking lot where he died.
Carpenter, a U.S. Army veteran, first came to the Shelby Golf Course as a customer decades ago, then later volunteered to help maintain the course, said Wayne Evans, a Metro Parks superintendent. Two years ago, golf course staff realized Carpenter was so valuable that they hired him on as a part-time employee.
Carpenter was paid to work 19 hours a week at the course, but often put in more than 30, Evans said.
“He was just known as the most pleasant, kind-hearted man you’ll ever meet,” Evans said. “He would give you the shirt off his back. He would do anything to anybody … Never had an enemy that we know of this world.”
Evans said Carpenter was a widower who has a son that lives in the Nashville area.
Carpenter’s death marks the 51st criminal homicide in Nashville this year.
Jackie Jones, a spokeswoman for the Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation Department, said funeral arrangements are pending.
MAP: Tracking homicides in Nashville in 2019
Anyone with information about Carpenter’s killing is asked to call 615-742-7463.
This is a developing story.
Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at nalund@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
Published 7:12 PM EDT Sep 16, 2019
