Crime & Safety

Johnson County Sheriff: Man Shoots Horses from Truck on a Whim in Northern Johnson County, Kills One, Injures Two Others

The man told authorities that in the course of shooting various things while on a drive, he saw the horses near Swisher and decided to shoot them from inside his truck with his .22 caliber rifle.


A Cedar Rapids man is currently in the Johnson County Jail facing felony and misdemeanor charges after he allegedly shot three horses on a whim with his .22 caliber rifle from within the safety of his truck on the nearby road, seriously injuring two of the horses and killing one.

According to Johnson County Sheriff criminal complaints filed Monday in Johnson County Court, deputies were called on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. to 1709 Falcon Ave. NW near Swisher. The caller informed them that someone had shot three of their horses, killing one and requiring the other two to have medical care.

The caller told the deputies that they had recorded the suspect's license plate number. The owner of the vehicle, Ryan Lee Graft, 31, of Cedar Rapids, came voluntarily to the Johnson County Jail after a deputy requested an interview.

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There, Graft allegedly admitted to the deputy that he had been traveling along that day shooting at things outside of his vehicle when he saw the three horses and decided to shoot them, according to the complaint. Graft was unable to explain to investigators why he came to this decision, according to the complaint, but did admit that it was a "stupid thing to do."

Graft was charged for this incident with second-degree criminal mischief, a class D felony; reckless use of a firearm with property damage, an aggravated misdemeanor; shooting a rifle over a waterway or highway; and injury to animals, an aggravated misdemeanor.

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Graft is currently in the Johnson County Jail on a $17,500 cash or surety bond.


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