Correction: Man Shot Over July 4th Still Alive, Family Praying for Miracle
SPRINGFIELD, TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – The family of John Cobb, the man who was struck by a stray bullet over the July 4th weekend near the Winchester City Park area, says that, despite earlier reports from law enforcement, he is not dead. Cobb is alive, on life support, and showing signs of movement, according to his wife Michelle, who spoke with Smokey Barn News in an interview Sunday evening.
“John is on a ventilator. His body is doing great, healthy heart, lungs, pancreas, everything,” she said. “He was struck in the back of the head by a bullet that’s now lodged in his brain stem. We’re praying for a miracle. We’ve seen some movement today and they’re going to be doing more testing.”
On Sunday, July 6th at 1:07 p.m., the Winchester Police Department released a statement indicating that Mr. Cobb had passed away after being struck by a stray bullet. That information was based on an early medical assessment suggesting brain death. The statement (added below) was then distributed to Nashville news outlets, including Smokey Barn News, and subsequently reported widely. ORGANAL REPORT However, Mr. Cobb remains on life support, and his family has since reported signs of movement. Smokey Barn News reached out to the Winchester Police Department for clarification and was told the investigator would not be available to comment until Monday.
According to Michelle, the confusion may have stemmed from an initial brain activity test at Vanderbilt University Medical Center that led some medical staff to suggest brain death. However, she says she was not present for that discussion and was later apologized to by a nurse for the miscommunication.
“Vanderbilt said they were testing for brain activity, and because they didn’t see it, they declared him brain dead,” she said. “But I wasn’t part of that discussion, and a nurse apologized and said he hadn’t explained it well. Now they’re doing more tests, two or three more, because we’ve seen movement.”
The Winchester Police Department had originally told Smokey Barn News that Cobb had died from the injury, citing what they were told about his condition. Cobb’s wife says she received a call from the department confirming the bullet was from a rifle and had likely been shot into the air, eventually coming back down and striking him in the crown of the head.
“They told me it was a rifle round. The reason it’s lodged in his brain stem is because it came down from the sky, not enough force to exit the skull. They found a casing at the marina and said the bullet may have traveled a long distance.”
She added that the round was “sharp at the end, not blunt like a handgun,” further indicating a rifle was used.
Cobb’s wife, who has survived a traumatic crash and a coma herself, says she believes in miracles and is holding out hope.
“When I was 18, I was in a coma. They told my parents I wouldn’t make it, and I came out of it,” she said. “So I’m not giving up. We’re praying.”
The family asks for continued prayers and privacy during this critical time. Updates will be provided as further testing is completed.
