A 40-year-old history teacher at Munford High School was shot by his 15-year-old daughter

A 40-year-old history teacher at Munford High School was shot by his 15-year-old daughter early today as he slept in a den, Tipton County Sheriff's Department officials said.

Sheriff's deputies, called about 12:30 a.m., found Douglas Van Neste had been fatally shot at his home on Marshall Cove, which has a Millington address but is in south Tipton County.

The preliminary investigation found that he was shot by his daughter, who used a shotgun, officials said.

The daughter has not been charged or arrested.

Incidents leading up to the shooting are still under investigation, they said. The family -- Van Neste had a wife and two children -- is cooperating with investigators.

"This is a tragic incident for the Van Neste family, the Munford High School staff and student body and our Tipton County community," Sheriff J.T. 'Pancho' Chumley said in a statement.

"The Sheriff’s Office is working closely with the Tipton County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. (Tim) Fite, and his staff to assist the school family in providing any support needed during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those touched by this death.”

Sheriff's detectives, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation detectives and a district attorney's office participated in the investigation. An autopsy was expected to be conducted today at the Regional Forensic Center in Memphis.

A statement from police says, "The preliminary investigation indicates that Mr. VanNeste sleeping in the den when he was shot by his 15-year-old daughter. The specific incidents leading up to the shooting is still under investigation at this time. The family is being cooperative with detectives and special agents in the investigation. "