Father of 5 killed in road rage shooting on Christmas Day, police say

NASHVILLE (WSMV/Gray News) – A 37-year-old father of five was killed in a road rage shooting on Christmas Day, police said.

Chris Spaunhorst died after he was shot while driving his truck on I-24 in Nashville on Sunday.

Police said they believe road rage was the motive for the shooting.

Chris Spaunhorst’s wife Stephanie Spaunhorst said he was returning to their home with presents after dropping his mother off at her home.

The Spaunhorsts were high school sweethearts and had been married for five years.

“He was a great man, he was a great daddy, he was a great baseball coach. He loved everybody,” Stephanie Spaunhorst said through tears. “I feel like I can’t go on without him. My kids are devastated, his mom is devastated, I don’t know how I’m going to function without him.”

Chris Spaunhorst often worked 50-hour or 60-hour weeks to provide for his family. He was an avid Arkansas Razorbacks fan and loved to fish and coach his kids’ baseball teams, his wife said.

“And now he’s gone, I didn’t even get to tell him goodbye, I didn’t get to tell him anything, he was just taken,” Stephanie Spaunhorst said.

Metro Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the person responsible for Chris Spaunhorst’s death. His wife is also begging for any tips that could lead to an arrest.

“If you know just the smallest thing, the smallest detail, if you saw his truck if you saw anything, reach out tell somebody. He deserves justice, we deserve answers,” Stephanie Spaunhorst said. “He didn’t deserve to die like that, just left to die by himself. He just didn’t deserve that. My kids don’t deserve to grow up without a daddy.”

Chris Spaunhorst was driving a blue Ford F-150 on I-24 westbound around noon Christmas Day. Police believe the suspect vehicle is a black sedan with a chrome trim and may have damage.

If you have any information, please contact the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department at 615-862-8600.

A family friend has organized a GoFundMe page to help the Spaunhorst family pay for a funeral. If you’d like to donate, click here.

Copyright 2022 WSMV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.