4 year old dog fatally shot with pellet gun
Franklin, TN (US)Incident Date: Friday, Mar 3, 2006
County: Williamson
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Bernard Visnjic
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Richard Scobey thought his 4-year-old golden retriever, Fireball, was simply relaxing in the back yard of his Williamson County home, enjoying the nice weather. But when he called Fireball in for dinner, the dog didn't move, so Scobey went to check on him. "Normally, a dog's tongue is kind of pink," he said. "I opened his mouth, and his tongue was gray and his gums were gray."
He took the dog to Beauchamp Animal Hospital March 3, 2006, and he learned that Fireball had been shot with a pellet gun. Charly Beauchamp, the veterinarian who treated Fireball, said he's seen several dogs and cats with wounds from BB guns, but a pellet gun is something different. That's why Fireball died a day later. "This particular case, with this particular type of weapon, those things can be very dangerous," Beauchamp said. "It's much more involved than a BB gun. It's got much more power." Sgt. Detective Tony Philips with the Williamson County Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting. And while he said it appears to be an isolated incident, he agreed on the danger of pellet guns. "If it's one of the higher-powered pellet guns, it can cause quite a bit of damage," he said.
A few days after Fireball died, Scobey's voice was still weak when he talked about his pet. He had had Fireball since Fireball was a puppy, and he referred to Fireball as his best friend who followed him everywhere. "I would hope that Fireball's legacy could prevent any future accidents or deaths," he said. "Especially when it comes to children, because these pellet guns are capable of killing human beings as well as animals."
Case UpdatesWilliamson County Sheriff Ricky Headley said he hopes the arrest of a man accused of shooting and killing a horse will send a message that "there will be serious consequences when people play these games."
Headley said investigators believe that Bernard "Chris" Visnjic, 18, of Fairview, intentionally shot a spotted saddle horse, firing two shot from a vehicle. The 12-year-old mare, mother of two colts, was found dead Feb. 18 on Billy Inman's farm in Fernvale. Inman said he happened to wake up abpit 2:30 a.m. and saw a dark car drive by, then heard two shots.
Visnjic has been charged with intentional killing of an animal, a class C felony. He was arrested Tuesday and was released from the Williamson County jail on $2,500 bail. Headley said Visnjic could be sentenced to up to six years in prison if convicted. Visnjic is set to appear in court on April 6.
"The only statement he would make was that he did fire two shots out of his window," Headley said. "(Visnjic) said he didn't see the horse. There were two other people in the car with him and we are in the process of interviewing them."
An anonymous caller to Crime Stoppers reported that they had overheard Visnjic talking about shooting the horse, Headley said. Detective Tony Phillips investigated the claim and arrested Visnjic.
A man who answered the phone at Visnjic's house Tuesday afternoon would not identify himself, but told a reporter, "I don't know if it's truth. Maybe somebody shoot horse about insurance. Maybe the owners shoot him," before hanging up.
The horse, named Shadow, belonged to Inman's 19-year-old granddaughter, Jessica Tucker. He said Tucker loved the horse and would come home from college to ride it. Inman said the horse's death disturbed Tucker so much that she was unable to visit the farm for weeks. She finally visited on a recent weekend, but didn't stay long.
Inman's wife, Estelle, said the family is happy that an arrest has been made. Estelle Inman said she remained confident that Phillips would solve the crime. The U.S. Humane Society was offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed the horse. Crime Stoppers also offers rewards for tips that lead to convictions.
"It's been awful on us," Estelle Inman said. "We're 82 and 83 years old and Jessica, I don't know if she'll ever get over it. I hope so. I really do."
Bill Inman said he doesn't understand why anyone would shoot a family pet.
"It appears to be three young people in the car and one thought he would play a game and be funny and shoot the horse," Headley said. "People who do this just don't stop to think that a horse standing in a field, or a dog in a yard, is someone's pet. They don't think about how important these animals are to someone. They just don't stop to think." | Source: The Tennesean - March 30, 2006
Update posted on Mar 30, 2006 - 10:18PM |
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