‘The question that I want to know is why’: 2 dogs shot, 1 killed in Heritage Hills neighborhood

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - An Amarillo family is missing a piece of its family, after their dog was shot and killed.

Residents in the Heritage Hills neighborhood tell us they are on ‘high alert’ after Sunday’s horrific event.

Amarillo Police say a 17-year-old has been arrested for five separate counts in connection to the shooting.

The Law family says they came home from visiting a friend’s home and saw their dogs chewed through the fence and got out.

“I guess there were some fireworks being popped outside our neighborhood earlier that evening that spooked them and caused them to break out,” Jordan Law, dog owner.

Immediately they started looking and asking neighbors if they saw their two dogs, Pearl and Sadie.

“I thought what I saw was two dogs running through the neighborhood, but I couldn’t tell exactly what they were, it was 5 minutes after she left that we heard roughly around 6 to 7 gunshots,” said William Hoythodnett, Heritage Hills resident.

Law says she was two streets over from where the shooting happened, which was on Heritage Hills Pkwy.

“I heard the gun shots, but seriously didn’t think there was anyway it was our dogs, I went the opposite way of the gun shots and kept looking, about 15 minutes later there was a helicopter flying over our neighborhood and lots of sirens,” said Law.

She then got a call from her husband saying Pearl and Sadie were shot.

“I was sitting there with the dog and I just started breaking down, crying because I was watching this dog die,” said Amanda Carriker, Heritage Hills resident.

Law says they rushed both dogs to the emergency vet, Pearl the chocolate lab died.

Sadie survived and is now at home recovering from gunshot wounds.

Law says the vet believes Pearl was shot three times and Sadie was shot twice.

Several agencies responded to the incident Sunday right after midnight, neighbors say the two suspects fled the scene and were hiding in the neighborhood.

Police say an 18-year-old man was found and detained between Lexford Drive and Heritage Hills Pkwy.

They also say another man, 17-year-old RMoney Kyanvean Cashun Thomas, broke into a home on Lexford Drive, while attempting to hide.

APD says Thomas fled that home once officers were called, but was located hiding between two houses on the block.

They say no firearm was found on either man, but one was later found on the ground between two houses in the area and was traced back to Thomas.

Police say he was charged with Discharging a Firearm in a Municipality, Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals, Criminal Trespass of a Habitation, Evading Arrest and Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon.

He has been booked into the Randall County Jail and the second subject was released at the scene.

The Heritage Hills community is now left with questions.

“The question that I want to know is why they were scoping through this neighborhood? What was the real reason of why did they shoot those dogs? Because those dogs weren’t aggressive, they weren’t mean, they were just sweet, lovable pups,” said Hoythodnett.

We asked police if they knew if the men lived in the neighborhood or why they were there, APD did not have an answer.

The Law family says they are left broken.

“We are so confused and don’t understand how someone could be so cruel,” said Law.

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