A Tennessee man was arrested on Friday after he allegedly shot at on a family sledding on a hill in his neighborhood.
Benjamin Cook, aged 56, falsely alleged that a family consisting of two parents and four children was on his land. He proceeded to shoot without any prior warning, with one bullet landing just a few feet away from the spot where the family’s 1-year-old son was present, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
The family had been sledding at approximately 11:30 a.m. near Chickamauga Lake, located to the north of Chattanooga. Upon hearing multiple gunshots originating from a residence downhill, they observed snow being kicked up from the ground close to where their toddler was. Spotting a man armed with a gun, they shouted at him to cease fire. However, he insisted they were trespassing on his property, seemingly under the misconception that he had the authority to shoot at families with young children without prior notice.
The sheriff’s office investigation determined that the family was not on Cook’s property when he shot at them.
The family packed up their belongings and went back to their own home and called police.
Upon being notified, deputies arrived at the scene and secured photographs from a neighboring resident depicting Cook moving through the woods while carrying a rifle on his back. Subsequently, he was taken into custody and charged with six counts of aggravated assault.
Deputies also executed a search warrant at Cook’s home and seized several rifles. Additional charges may be pending.
According to WRCB, Cook has a lengthy criminal record dating back to the 1980s and includes charges of assault, harassment, vandalism, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
