A Tennessee man is facing six counts of aggravated assault after allegedly opening fire on a family that was sledding in the snow, claiming they were on his property. The incident took place in the 6300 block of Stoney River Drive, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to a report of a man shooting at a family of six who were playing outside in the snow. The family, consisting of parents and four children, had walked down the street to go sledding down a hill in their neighborhood.
At around 11:30 a.m., the family heard gunshots coming from a house down the hill near the 10400 block of Birchwood Pike. The mother observed snow flying up from the ground just a couple of feet from her one-year-old son.
Upon realizing the shots were directed at them, the parents confronted the man, later identified as Benjamin Cook, and told him to stop shooting. Cook claimed the family was on his property, but they denied this assertion.
The family then left the scene and reported the incident to authorities. Deputies visited Cook's residence, where they found him in matching clothing as seen in pictures taken by a neighbor, walking through the woods with a black rifle slung across his back.
Cook was subsequently arrested on aggravated assault charges. An investigation confirmed that the family was not on his property when the shooting occurred. A search warrant executed at Cook's home uncovered several rifles inside.
