HARRISON, Tenn. — A man has been indicted on 25 charges after allegedly firing at a family enjoying a day in the snow last January. Benjamin Cook faces multiple serious offenses, including six counts of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault.
The indictment, issued by a grand jury in Hamilton County, was filed last week and marks a significant escalation from the original charges brought against Cook shortly after the incident on January 10. In addition to attempted murder and assault, he faces four counts of aggravated child abuse, six counts of using a firearm during the commission of a felony, and three counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.
On the afternoon of the incident, a family with four children was sledding on a hill located in the 6300 block of Stoney River Drive when they heard gunfire. The mother recounted that she witnessed snow erupting just a few feet away from her one-year-old son as the shots rang out. Both she and her family yelled for Cook to stop and voiced their presence in the direction of the shooting.
According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Cook claimed that the family was trespassing on his property, but a subsequent investigation contradicted this assertion. A search warrant led deputies to find several rifles in Cook’s residence. The sheriff’s report stated that the family was not on Cook’s property when the incident occurred.
This recent development raises public safety concerns, as Cook has a documented history of discharging firearms in the vicinity and has previously told others that the sledding hill was private land.
As the case proceeds through the criminal justice system, authorities stress the importance of community awareness regarding gun safety and property rights.
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