Grand Jury Indicts Huntsville Man in Fatal Shooting
By Shane Gilreath
SCN Contributing Editor
[email protected]
A Scott County Grand Jury has returned indictments against a Huntsville man in connection with the fatal shooting of a Scott County teenager earlier this year.
Cole Felthoff
According to statements released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), special agents joined the Scott County Sheriff’s Office on April 19, 2026, at the request of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of 15-year-old Gage King.
As previously reported by SCN, the shooting occurred in the 100 block of Byrges Creek Road in Huntsville. When Scott County Deputies responded to the scene, they found King deceased. At the time, few details were released as investigators worked to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Because of the nature of the crime, TBI was subsequently called in to assist with the investigation.
During the course of that probe, authorities identified 19-year-old Cole Felthoff as the individual responsible for King’s death, and on June 11, 2026, a Scott County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Felthoff, charging him with one count of Aggravated Assault, one count of Aggravated Assault Resulting in Death, and one count of Reckless Homicide.
Felthoff turned himself in to authorities following the indictment and was booked into the Scott County Jail with a bond set at $50,000.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office previously expressed condolences following the tragedy, stating that its thoughts and prayers were with the King family, friends, and all those affected by the loss.
SCN reminds readers that the charges and allegations referenced in the indictment are accusations only. Felthoff is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
