A family argument in Bethpage, Tennessee, ended in a fatal shooting on the evening of Tuesday, October 21, 2025. James Purnell Bubba Brinkley, a 48-year-old white male, was found on Rogana Road with three gunshot wounds after Sumner County deputies responded just after 8 p.m. to a call from Phillip Brinkley reporting a confrontation between his brother and their cousin.

Investigators identified Kenneth Phillips, a cousin of Brinkley, as the alleged shooter. Arrest documents say a verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation and Phillips then shot Brinkley. Three shell casings recovered at the scene were matched to Phillips’s gun, and he was arrested and charged with homicide.

The family and community are reported to be mourning this sudden loss. If anyone witnessed the confrontation on Rogana Road that evening or has information that could help the investigation, please come forward.