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A renowned North Carolina horse trainer is facing criminal charges after accidentally fatally shooting a horse during an argument with his son.
John Victor Russell, 75, is accused of shooting a gun at his son during a heated argument, instead striking a family horse the son was riding, according to a New York Times report Tuesday.
While the son sustained no injuries in the incident, the horse, which was identified by family as a Grand Prix jumper named Franklin’s Tower, was euthanized as a result of its injuries.
Russell, who was recently dubbed "Horseman of the Year" after being inducted into the Carolinas Show Hunter Hall of Fame, now faces charges of assault on a person with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill and felony animal cruelty causing the death of an animal. He was released on $90,000 bond and plans to plead not guilty during his July 19 court appearance, according to the report.
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John Victor Russell. (Polk County Sheriffs Office)
The incident sent shock waves through the North Carolina community where Russell, commonly known as Vick, resides. In addition to his hall of fame induction, the Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort in Mill Spring, North Carolina, recently featured the trainer on their website, calling him a "local legend," who along with his family, "has built quite the beloved name for themselves in our community."
"It’s just heartbreaking," Suzanne Feagan, the son’s former wife, said in an interview, according to the New York Times. "The whole family is shocked. Obviously angry. Never would we have seen this coming. He must be in a horrible mental state to have done that."
Police arriving at the scene of the incident were able to determine that Russell and one of his sons were involved in a heated argument when Russell went to retrieve a firearm and then shot at his son, who was on horseback at the time.
In her interview, Feagan said she witnessed the incident while mowing fields at the farm.
Polk County Sheriffs Office Cruisers. (Polk County Sheriffs Office)
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"I walked out of the barn and saw Vick pull up in his truck and he had a gun," Feagan said, adding that she went back to the barn and heard "a bunch of shouting and carrying on." She looked out of a stall and "saw Vick shooting" at the son.
Feagan said that Russell was "a father who we’ve all loved and revered for so long" but noted he was "not taking care of himself" in his older age.
The son’s fiancé, Kristen Cox, said in an interview that her fiancé was upset, heartbroken, conflicted, a little traumatized by the incident, but that the family was also concerned for the well-being of Russell.
"We love him and respect him and we’re worried about him now," Cox said. "We need to get him the help he needs."
Crime scene tape. (iStock)
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Jennifer Labbe, one of Russell's lawyers, cautioned against rushing to judgment, arguing the entire incident could have been an accident.
"I have known Vick Russell for many years, and he loves his children and horses, and this was a tragic accident," Labbe said, according to the New York Times, adding that "the gun could have accidentally gone off."
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