‘It was no accident’; horse owner believes shooting of her animals was targeted

ST. GEORGE, S.C. (WCBD)-The owner of a horse sanctuary in St. George says she’s devastated after several of her horses were shot, leaving one dead and others injured.

The sanctuary is a place Marcy Hippy says she created to be a safe space for horses and other animals, but now they’ve come face to face with tragedy.

“This has been a nightmare. It’s been hell on earth,” Hippy said.

Hippy said she heard gunshots close to her property on Friday evening.

It’s not an unusual thing to hear in rural St. George, but she decided to check up on her animals anyway and what she discovered was shocking.

Hippy said, “My other horses were running, and I didn’t realize they had been shot until the next morning.”

Hippy said four of her horses were shot, severely injuring three and killing one. A goat was also killed.

“My horse charlotte was dead, and also my goat, ginger was also dead,” Hippy said.

According to Hippy, the shooting did not appear to be accidental.

“The way multiple horses were shot, with the precision they were shot, it was no accident,” Hippy said.

News 2 spoke to the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and they said they’re actively investigating the incident.

Sheriff L.C. Knight told News 2, “This is a very disturbing incident that has happened. We are working very hard to identify those responsible and the reason for the assault on the animals.”

Hippy says no matter how long it takes, she’ll make sure justice is served.

“I want to find who did this, and I want to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and them I’m just going to come after them civilly if that’s a remedy, because they’re going to pay.” Hippy said. “This is going to be an ongoing problem now for these horses and for me. This isn’t just a two-day incident, these horses are injured for life.”

If you have any information about this incident, you’re asked to contact the Dorchester Co. Sheriff’s Office.