Fifteen-year-old Audrey Caporale arrived at the Lubbock Independent School District's Ag Barn shortly after noon Friday to feed goats when she was taken aback by a ghastly scene of blood and bullet wounds.

"I thought I was dreaming. I was in shock," said the Monterey High agriculture student.

Now, LISD officials and police are investigating what they described as a violent attack against 29 goats in the barn overnight Thursday or Friday morning in West Lubbock.

Of those, 18 were shot and killed and 11 were injured, district spokeswoman Nancy Sharp said. Only one of those 11 is expected to recover; the other 10 are undergoing veterinary treatment and will likely have to be euthanized.

Sharp added she sympathizes with Audrey and her classmates.

"Needless to say, (she is) distraught," Sharp said. "She's bottle fed a lot of these animals that were killed. She and other students bottle fed these baby animals - so, they were very attached."

Staten Rush, 15, said the injured animals appeared to have been victims of a blunt-force attack: "They used a heavy item to break their legs."

The only goat expected to survive the violence now has a new name.

"I think we'll call her Miracle," said Misty Michel, an adult supporter of the livestock program.

Miracle, a small white-colored animal, walked with a slight limp and an understandably uneasy demeanor. Her largest wound appeared around and above her knee area.

Animal-control staff spent Friday afternoon disposing carcasses of Miracle's neighbors who didn't make it.

The small group of animal lovers gathered around the barn could only speculate as to who was behind the attacks, and why.

"I personally think whoever did this is completely inhumane," said Emily Caporale, 19, shaking her head. "To slaughter these animals is an awful crime. They should be brought to justice, and the entire ag community will see that through."

Law enforcement are pursuing leads in the case and will pursue cruelty to animals charges, Sharp said:

"We're going to ask for the public's help in solving this ... We will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

Zane Ortiz, 17, is dumbfounded on how the attacks happened. The Monterey student lives nearby in the otherwise-quiet neighborhood, and doesn't understand how gunshots didn't attract more attention.

"I didn't hear anything," he said, shaking his head.

Livestock animals live at the barn; students visit routinely for care and feeding. Lubbock ISD's veterinary technology and agriculture science programs make frequent trips to study the creatures.

"They use them for training students, teaching students and some of them will eventually be for projects," Sharp said.

Anyone with information is urged to call Lubbock ISD police at (806) 219-0212.

adam.young@lubbockonline.com • 766-8725

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