In a tragic incident on the evening of Saturday, April 25, 2026, a young White man from Illinois, 22-year-old Jacob Inselmann of Steeleville, lost his life in a shooting that unfolded in the parking lot of the popular Dolly Parton's Stampede dinner attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The event, which has been described by authorities as apparently accidental, has resulted in the arrest of another young man from Illinois.
According to reports from the Pigeon Forge Police Department,
officers were dispatched to the scene around 7:30 p.m. after receiving a 911 call about a gunshot. Upon their arrival, they discovered two men inside a vehicle. One of the men, later identified as 24-year-old Evan Cogdill of Marissa, Illinois, informed the officers that his handgun had discharged, striking Inselmann, who was also inside the car. Emergency services transported Inselmann to LeConte Medical Center, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead from his injuries.
Following the incident, an investigation was launched by the Pigeon Forge Police Department. The investigation led to the arrest of Evan Cogdill, who has been charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with Inselmann's death. While the shooting is believed to have been accidental, the investigation remains ongoing to determine the precise circumstances that led to the fatal discharge of the firearm. Cogdill was booked into the Sevier County Jail and was later released on a $25,000 bail. The public defender's office has been assigned to represent him in the legal proceedings to come.
