CHARLOTTE, Mich. (WSYM) - Kelsie Newman, of Eaton County, is looking for answers this week after two of her horses were killed and a third one injured from gunshot wounds. Kelsie is a student at Olivet College and made the shocking discovery Tuesday when she came home from class. She said she first thought it was a hunting accident. "I don't understand why anybody would do this to our horses. I was shocked" said Kelsie.
When she arrived at her family's home around 3:50 pm, she saw one of her draft horse's Prince laid out in her pasture dead from a gunshot to his heart and lung area. Kelsie told FOX 47 News that Prince's riding buddy, Duke another draft horse did not leave his side. Duke was also suffering from a single gunshot wound in his shoulder area. And about an hour later Kelsie made another terrifying discovery, her riding horse Solo. "He was just laying flat out in his stall and he would lift his head then lay it back down and lift his head again and he was just in so much pain because of it," said Kelsie.
Kelsie told us he later died because of the two gunshot wounds that entered into his chest cavity. At first, Kelsie said she thought a deer hunter shot them by accident but said she called the police anyway. "After the investigation, we've decided that it was intentional," she said.
Kelsie explained that since the horses were all shot in different locations police believe someone shot them on purpose. Duke and Prince were in one pasture and Solo was in another one, much farther from the two. She has ridden Solo since she was a child, partaking in multiple competitions. The other two draft horses are a large part of the community. People in the community have taken to Facebook to express their distress over these loved animals.
"We've showed competitively for the whole eleven years I've had him. These draft horses, dad has given hay rides and sleigh rides with. We've done weddings and funerals with them, so they've been everywhere" said Kelsie. Kelsie and her family were not the only ones grieving over the loss of the two horses. She told us horses are known to show a lot of emotions. Specifically, she said Duke has also been sad this week after losing his best friend. "He'll just stand in the pasture there by himself there by himself or up the barn, With the other horses in the paster that's a little bit odd he should be standing with them," said Kelsie.
For now, Kelsie said she'll be working with police to try and figure out what happened. FOX 47 News has a call into the Eaton County Sheriff's Office for comment on the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the police.
