A teenage girl allegedly stabbed three horses in a bizarre barn rampage during a national barrel racing event in Las Vegas over the weekend, according to authorities.
Police rushed to the South Point Casino in Las Vegas just after 2 a.m. on Saturday and discovered that three equines had been “intentionally injured with a sharp object,” according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Detectives identified the teen girl as a possible suspect after learning she had access to the barn, where the horses were slated to compete in the 2026 National Barrel Horse Association Professional’s Choice Las Vegas Super Show.
The girl, who hasn’t been publicly identified, may have used a knife to inflict “multiple injuries to the horses,” police said.
“While the injuries are not considered life-threatening, they are expected to prevent the horses from competing,” cops wrote in a statement.
The teen was arrested at a nearby hotel and taken to Clark County Juvenile Hall, where she was booked on 12 counts of willful animal torture and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000.
The NBHA confirmed in a statement that the incident involved “a limited number of equine athletes” at the venue, which hosted the barrel racing show from Friday through Sunday.
“The situation was addressed immediately in coordination with the National Barrel Horse Association, the South Point Hotel & Casino Security, Metro Police, and all appropriate parties,” the association said.
“The individual involved has been removed and placed in the care of authorities, and there is no ongoing threat of any kind.”
Investigators have not released a possible motive for the horse stabbing.