Reverend injured in White Pine Pilot shooting, church members say

WHITE PINE, Tenn. (WVLT) - One was killed, and two were injured in a shooting in the parking lot of a Pilot gas station located at 3663 Roy Messer Highway in White Pine, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey.

The shooting happened Monday afternoon. Officials with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office told WVLT News that the incident stemmed from a custody drop-off between two parents who were meeting to change custody of their child.

Christopher Ray Welch, 48, of Harriman, Tennessee, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the White Pine Police Department.

The two injured, a 58-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl whose names have not been released, were taken to the hospital, law enforcement officials said. As of Tuesday morning, officials said that they were in critical condition.

WVLT News spoke with members of the Mosheim Church of God, located in Mosheim. They told WVLT News that the injured 58-year-old man was Rev. Kenny Cook. They also said that Cook is at the University of Tennessee Medical Center on life-support.

WVLT News reached out to Pilot officials for comment, and they provided a statement.

A fourth person involved in the incident was not injured, officials said.

The investigation is being led by the White Pine Police Department, Sheriff Coffey said.

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