‘I was broken’: Tacoma family wakes up to find beloved horse shot, killed on property

TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma family woke up to find their beloved horse shot and killed on their property, the mother told KIRO 7.

INVESTIGATION:

A spokesperson for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said its animal control team is currently investigating the horse’s shooting death that happened on Sunday around 12:30 a.m.

The horse was found in front of its stable, which is located on the corner of 132nd Street East and Vickery Avenue East, deputies said.

A neighbor’s security camera captured a white vehicle driving west on 132nd Street East around the time the shooting happened.

The video captured a sound, “which could be gunshots, but it’s hard to say,” deputies wrote.

There are no details on a possible suspect(s) at this time.

LEMON:

A Tacoma family woke up to find their beloved horse was shot and killed on their property.

KIRO 7 spoke with Karen Greer, the owner of the property where LeMon had lived. Her daughter had owned the horse for more than a decade.

Greer said she heard a sound that seemed to resemble a gunshot Sunday night. She didn’t think much about it until she walked outside and found her daughter’s horse lying on the ground with blood everywhere.

Another neighbor nearby told KIRO 7 that he also heard the sound of a gunshot Sunday night.

“That tank right there, there was blood all on the outside, on the back of it and it was like cough blood. It was everywhere and tissue. And the tank was totally red and full of tissue and blood clots,” Greer said.

She told KIRO 7 that she didn’t see a gunshot wound when she initially saw LeMon’s body on the ground. She thought LeMon had suffered an aneurysm.

LeMon’s veterinarian arrived at the scene and found the bullet wound.

“He (veterinarian) said then, it was probably point blank,” said Greer.

Greer said it felt like losing a child.

“To us, it feels like that. Losing a child,” she said. “It goes over my head a million times a day. I can’t stop. The horses are our girls’ lives.”

Greer told KIRO 7 that she did not see a gunshot wound when she initially saw LeMon’s body on the ground.

KIRO 7 also spoke with Delanie Greer, the owner of LeMon.

“I was broken,” she said. “I don’t understand how this could have happened to him.”

The death comes a week before Delanie Greer was planning to travel back home to visit her loved ones, including LeMon, for Christmas.

“I still have to remind myself that my horse is dead. I can’t even believe it,” said Greer. “How somebody could take something that’s so helpless and perfect and just kill him. He had done nothing wrong.”

LeMon and Greer traveled across the country to compete, including in Texas where they had placed 1st at a world competition.

“I remember when he was given to me, I was like wow, we might be able to go places,” she said.

Now the Greers are asking for the public’s help to find the person responsible for killing their beloved horse.

“I’m sorry it ended this way. You didn’t deserve this, but I’m not going to forget you and neither is anybody else. You gave it everything you had. And I love you,” said Delanie Greer.

NEIGHBORS:

Karen Greer said neighbors have been stopping by to drop off flowers to show their support for the family following the devastating loss.

“I don’t want anybody else to go through this,” Greer said.

A bouquet of flowers was placed near where LeMon had died.

“My family and I are heartbroken over this,” said Tara Chase. “It breaks our heart. It’s not right. It’s not right that somebody would do something so cruel to a defenseless helpless animal.”

Chase said her family from the East Coast would often want to see LeMon when they visited her family.

“He was the highlight of our walks. He was the highlight of other people’s walks,” she said. “He was the highlight of all of our walks. He’s very personable. He would come out, peak his head out if he was inside. Come up to the fence so we can pet him. He was the highlight of our walks before I even knew his name.”

Chase said she donated to the family’s reward, which would be given to the person who could share information leading to an arrest.

“I remember when he was given to me, I was like wow, we might be able to go places,” Greer said.

“Everybody wants to find who did this and bring them to justice.” She said, “I am hoping that the incentive of a reward will help somebody turn the guilty party or parties in and hold them accountable and get them off the streets.”

GOFUNDME:

The Greers created a GoFundMe to raise money for a cash reward to help deputies find more leads that could lead to an arrest.

Karen Greer said the money would be given back to those who donated or donated to a horse rescue organization if witnesses don’t come forward.

If you’d like to help, please click here.

The GoFundMe writes:

On December 17th between midnight and 12:30 a white car pulled up next to Delanie’s horse’s paddock and shot LeMon in the head. LeMon was very friendly and used to people stopping and talking to him. LeMon probably came right up to the person and was shot right on the side of the nose a couple inches below his eye. I’ll just say he suffered. We have been advised to start a go fund me for getting a reward together for information leading to the capture and arrest of the person responsible. If you would like to contribute it would be greatly appreciated. If you can’t prayers are just as appreciated.

thank you!

#justiceforlemon

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