Gunman Kills Horse, Injures Two Others During Random Act of Violence in Nearby Swisher, IA // UPDATE: Cedar Rapids Man Arrested!

(Originally written on 01/28/13): I wrote yesterday about an emerging story involving Johnson County sheriff's deputies responding to reports of a random horse shooting. At the time, we didn't have many details. We are now beginning to learn more about this pointless incident. KCJJ reported the following story earlier this evening:

The Johnson County Sheriff's Department is investigating a gunman who opened fire and killed a horse. He also wounded two others Sunday afternoon near Swisher. The man fired more than a dozen shots into a horse pasture around 2 p.m., Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said. There is no apparent reason for the shooting and at this time charges are still pending, but officials have identified and spoken with their primary suspect.

The Gazette reports that the two surviving horses suffered injuries to the head, breast, flank, and legs. They will be going to the veterinarian later this week, but are expected to recover. A fourth horse escaped the gunfight unscathed.

Updated on 01/29/13: KCJJ reports this morning that 31-year-old Ryan Lee Grafft of Cedar Rapids, IA, has been arrested and charged with 2nd Degree Criminal Mischief, Reckless Use of a Firearm, Discharging a Firearm Over a Highway, and three counts of Livestock Abuse. He faces up to 13 years in prison if convicted of all these charges.

Here is why he did it:

Grafft told investigators that he was driving around rural northwest Johnson County and shooting things with his rifle when he saw the three horses in the field. He parked his car on the Amana Road blacktop and shot at them from inside his truck with his .22 caliber rifle. Grafft said he didn’t know why he shot the horses, but admitted that it was a “stupid” thing to do.

One of the commenters on the KCJJ Facebook page noted that Grafft was about a half-mile from an outdoor shooting range.