In the early morning hours of March 2, 2018, the life of 20-year-old Brett D. Rodgers, a Black male, was tragically cut short in a shooting at the Hog Wild Saloon in Kingsport, Tennessee. Rodgers, a former standout football and basketball player at Dobyns-Bennett High School and a student at East Tennessee State University with dreams of a professional football career, was shot at approximately 2:00 AM inside the crowded establishment.
When Kingsport Police arrived at the chaotic scene, they found Rodgers unresponsive on the floor with a citizen attempting to perform CPR. He was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led detectives to identify a 16-year-old male from Bristol, Virginia, as the suspected shooter. With the assistance of law enforcement in Bristol, the juvenile was taken into custody at his residence later that same day. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault. Another individual, a 16-year-old Black male from Bristol, Virginia, was also shot and seriously injured during the incident but survived. Later reports identified the alleged shooter as William Newkirk Jr., who was 17 by October 2018.
In the wake of the shooting, the family of Brett Rodgers filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner and manager of the Hog Wild Saloon, seeking $25 million in damages. The lawsuit alleged that the establishment had inadequate security measures, which created an unreasonable risk of injury to patrons. The complaint contended that had proper security protocols been in place, Rodgers's death could have been prevented. Following the fatal incident, the Hog Wild Saloon permanently closed down.
