PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — A Knoxville man is now facing charges for reckless endangerment and vandalism after shots rang out at a Pigeon Forge gas station in April during Rod Run weekend.
The Pigeon Forge Police Department said 22-year-old Chad Smith is charged in relation to the shooting, and had already been arrested in Knox County for an unrelated domestic assault.
The incident occurred on April 16 around 1:10 a.m. at a Pilot store off the Parkway. The incident was caught on camera by bystanders. Police said a fight broke out between several people in the parking lot before Smith pulled out a handgun and fired two shots in the air.
Police said the videos they received of the incident helped them identify a suspect.
The incident sparked concern and debate within the Sevier County community about safety during the increasingly popular weekend event, with some calling on Pigeon Forge to end the event.
Smith is currently being held in the Knox County Detention Center and will be transferred to Sevier County to face charges there.
According to arrest records, officers in Knox County arrested Smith on Wednesday, May 5 for a domestic assault incident that occurred on March 17, 2020. Officers said Smith admitted to shoving his pregnant girlfriend after an argument.
