Iowa law enforcement authorities hope a $1,000 cash reward will help identify whoever shot a 14-month-old Johnson County horse.

Detective Sergeant Doug Gwinn, of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, said the horse's owner noticed that the animal was injured on July 17. A subsequent veterinary examination revealed that the horse had been shot in the right front knee, he said. The injuries were so severe that the veterinarian later euthanized the horse, Gwinn said.

“The horse's knee cap was shattered,” he said.

Gwinn said no shell casings were recovered at the scene, but that sheriff's department personnel obtained bullet fragments from the veterinarian. Gwinn believes that someone leaving a nearby gun range is responsible for the shooting