Two young men have been charged with aggravated assault after a group of pickleball players reported being shot at on the new courts in Veteran’s Park earlier this month.
Police were called to the courts near Mary’s Magical Place just before 10 p.m. on October 4, according to a police affidavit filed in Sumner County General Sessions Court.
When officers arrived, two players reported being targeted multiple times by what sounded like a BB gun. They mentioned that after moving to a different court, the shots continued. One player stated he was hit in the right ear, although there were no visible signs of injury.
As officers approached the tree line near the courts, they found two suspects: 18-year-old Noah Hankins from Gallatin and 18-year-old Ayden Money from Hendersonville.
The two suspects informed police about the location of the weapon, a lever-action BB gun, which officers subsequently found in the grass by a dumpster. Both teens were taken into custody.
They admitted to shooting the BB gun “at the trees and fish in the creek,” but firmly denied targeting any individuals, according to the affidavit. Money mentioned he could see the lights from the pickleball court, while Hankins claimed he could make out the outlines of people on the court as he shot. A container of BBs was discovered in Money’s pocket.
Police also interviewed three witnesses who corroborated the details of the incident, according to the affidavit.
Hendersonville resident Haley Villacorta was one of the witnesses to the incident. She told the Hendersonville Standard that she was playing on the court closest to the tree line with three other players when one of them reported something hitting his ear.
“We realized we were just being shot at,” she said. “It was insane.”
Villacorta described hearing a sound reminiscent of electrical wire popping. After moving to a middle court, the same player said he was struck again. Following another report of someone else being hit in the ear, a call was made to 911.
She noted that the Hendersonville police responded quickly. “They did a phenomenal job catching them,” she said. “We were terrified.”
Hankins and Money were booked into the Sumner County Jail on a $5,000 bond and are scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court at 10 a.m. on October 23.
