“‘THEY STOOD IN THE SAME ARENA… AND HOURS LATER EVERYTHING CHANGED.’ What continues to haunt people about this heartbreaking case is the devastating reality that the 17-year-old at the centre of the allegations was reportedly competing at the very same event as the horses involved. For fellow riders, trainers, and families who gathered expecting a day of competition, the shock has been almost impossible to process. Many say they are still struggling to understand how a celebration of trust, partnership, and love for animals could end in such distressing circumstances. Now, as the teenager remains in juvenile detention and prosecutors consider their next steps, attention is turning to what she has allegedly said since being taken into custody. Those reported details are adding another emotional layer to a story that has already left the equestrian community heartbroken.

NEED TO KNOW

• A teen girl was arrested after allegedly stabbing three horses during the NBHA Professional’s Choice Las Vegas Super Show

• She has since been transported to Clark County Juvenile Hall and booked for 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming or torturing an animal and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property

• “It’s kind of scary that something like that would happen here,” a 17-year-old barrel racing competitor said of the incident

A teenage girl was arrested after allegedly stabbing three horses at a barrel racing even in Nevada.

On Saturday, May 30, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) responded to a report that a horse had been injured at a barn in the 9700 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard just after 2 a.m., after which they arrived to find that “three horses had been intentionally injured with a sharp object,” according to a press release.

The LVMPD Animal Cruelty Section investigated the abuse, and detectives identified a teenage girl as a possible suspect.

Investigators believe she may have used a knife to inflict injuries to the horses, as she had access to the barn they were kept in, police said.

Although the injuries to the horses are not considered life-threatening, the horses will be unable to compete in the 2026 NBHA Professional’s Choice Las Vegas Super Show at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center.

Detectives located the girl at a nearby hotel and took her into custody.

Then, she was transported to Clark County Juvenile Hall and booked for 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming or torturing an animal and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property valued at more than $5,000.

In a news release shared on social media, the National Barrel Horse Association said that the “isolated incident was addressed immediately” at the barrel racing competition.

“This situation was addressed immediately in coordination with the National Barrel Horse Association, the South Point Hotel & Security, Metro Police, and all appropriate parties,” they wrote. “The individual involved has been removed and placed in the care of authorities, and there is no ongoing threat of any kind.”

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Cali Raymer, a 17-year-old competitor in the competition, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she had talked to the suspect “a few times” before the incident occurred.

“It’s kind of scary that something like that would happen here,” she said.

The South Point Hotel Casino & Spa emphasized in a statement to PEOPLE that the “safety and well-being of all guests, participants, and equine athletes on property is our highest priority.”

“We are thankful to report all of the horses involved are safe,” the statement continued. “We want to thank the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the NBHA for their immediate response to this incident, and the South Point is fully cooperating with the LVMPD as it conducts its investigation.”