If you’re going to have livestock, you’ll eventually have dead stock, goes the old adage. But, the last thing FFA members of the Clarkston FFA in Washington state expected to find was their livestock projects shot dead by a shirtless man recorded on camera this past May.
This week, a 27-year-old Clarkston man was placed into custody at the Asotin County Jail in connection with the incident.
According to various news sources, video footage captured images of a man entering the FFA’s livestock barn early in the morning of May 16 armed with a firearm. The video footage later shows two dead piglets slung over his shoulder.
A third pig was shot and was left dead at the scene. School officials reported that the sow shot was purchased as a breeding animal at the Asotin County Fair in April.
Clarkson FFA’s advisor Cami Browne posted about the incident on Facebook, saying, “The kids and I are devastated.”
After attempting to identify the suspect, a cash reward was offered by Helping Hand Rescue, which drummed up $500 to help lead to the arrest.
Lyden Blackburn, 27, now faces allegations of first-degree animal cruelty, malicious killing of livestock, second-degree theft, and first-degree burgling, according to a news release from the Aston County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is not right and should have never happened,” Browne said.
