A man arrested for shooting at a family playing in the snow
UPDATE (1/13/2025): The man arrested for shooting at a family sledding in the snow has received additional charges.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) released Monday morning that Benjamin Cook’s aggravated assault charges have now been upgraded to attempted First Degree Murder.
Cook now faces the following charges:
- (2) Counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
- (6) Counts of Attempted First Degree Murder
- (4) Counts of Aggravated Child Abuse
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Hamilton County, Tenn. (WDEF) — Yesterday morning, Hamilton County deputies arrested a man for shooting at a family, playing in the snow.
Friday, January 10, 2025, deputies were dispatched to the 6300 block of Stoney River Drive.
Preliminary information from the scene reveals the parents took their four children down the street to go sledding down a hill in their neighborhood.
Benjamin Cook
While sledding around 11:30 a.m., the family heard several gunshots come from the direction of a house down the hill near the 10400 block of Birchwood Pike.
Law enforcement says the mother saw snow fly up from the ground a couple of feet away, from where her one-year-old son was at.
The parents immediately looked towards the direction of the shots and yelled at the male, Benjamin Cook, to stop shooting.
Cook claimed they were on his property; however, further investigation proves otherwise.
The parents then gathered their children and belongings, returned to their home, and called authorities.
A search warrant was obtained and executed at the Cook residence.
Several rifles were found inside the home.
The investigation further revealed the family was not on Cook’s property when the incident occurred.
After deputies obtained pictures from a neighbor showing Cook with matching clothing, walking through the woods, and carrying a black rifle slung across his back, he was arrested and charged with six counts of Aggravated Assault.
Additional charges could be pending the outcome of the investigation.
