A Tennessee man is facing charges after he allegedly opened fire on a family that was sledding in the snow, claiming that they were on his property.
Benjamin Cook is facing six counts of aggravated assault in connection with the shooting, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional charges may be filed as the investigation progresses.
Deputies from the sheriff’s office responded to the 6300 block of Stoney River Drive after receiving a report that a man was shooting at a family of six who were playing outside in the snow.
Preliminary information indicated that the parents and their four children were sledding down a hill in their neighborhood when they heard gunshots coming from a nearby house on Birchwood Pike.
The mother reported that she saw snow kick up just a few feet away from her one-year-old son.
The parents confronted the man, identified as Cook, and told him to stop shooting, to which he claimed they were on his property. The family disputed this claim.
After the incident, the family gathered their belongings and returned home before contacting the authorities.
Deputies went to Cook’s residence, where they spoke with him and gathered evidence, including photos from a neighbor showing Cook with a rifle in the woods.
Cook was subsequently arrested on charges of aggravated assault.
Further investigation revealed that the family was not trespassing on Cook’s property at the time of the shooting.
A search warrant was executed at Cook’s residence, where several rifles were seized.
