The teenage girl accused of being responsible for the horse stabbing incident in Las Vegas appeared in court earlier today (June 4).
The rodeo world was shaken when three horses were attacked at the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) Supershow in Las Vegas over the weekend. Following an investigation, authorities arrested a teen girl who they believe “may have used a knife to inflict multiple injuries to the horses.”
According to a press release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the teenager was charged with 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming, or torturing of an animal and three counts of Felony Malicious Destruction of Private Property over $5K.
Click below for more information on a teen arrested for injuring three horses. pic.twitter.com/CUdP8iMbTJ
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) May 31, 2026
As news of the Las Vegas horse stabbing has attracted nationwide attention, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson is pushing for the teen to face adult charges in the case.
“Nevada law allows certain juvenile offenders to be prosecuted as adults when warranted by the seriousness of the conduct. We believe this case meets that standard,” Wolfson said on Tuesday (June 2).
Las Vegas-based ABC affiliate KTNV reported on the suspect’s hearing on June 4. The outlet reports that the judge said, “The girl was a public safety risk.” She will remain in custody and be held without bail.
KVVU-TV, a FOX affiliate in Las Vegas, reports that the teen’s public defender said she denies the charges against her. The defender also noted that the teen “has a significant mental health history.”
KTNV reported that the judge did not consider the motion to have the teen tried as an adult. But they are expected to issue a ruling in that regard when the teen returns to court. Her next hearing was scheduled for July 8.
Stay tuned for more information as this story unfolds.
Those Affected By Las Vegas Horse Stabbing Share Updates & More Details
The three horses who were injured in the horrific attack over the weekend are named Detail, Sully, and Rocket. Thankfully, their injuries were not life-threatening.
However, the injuries were severe enough that the horses were unable to compete in the National Barrel Horse Association Supershow.
The horses’ owners have been sharing updates on their conditions and what they know about the person accused of attacking them. Detail’s owner, Arielle Phillips, wrote on Wednesday (June 3) that Detail is “slowly warming up” but “still a little skittish with quick movements.”
In a previous post on June 1, Phillips said the suspect stabbed the other two horses, Sully and Rocket, first. The only reason she didn’t get to Detail right away is because Phillips was still with her.
“She couldn’t get to Detail yet so she handled Sully and Rocket first,” Phillips wrote. “She came to Detail’s stall twice because she was waiting for me to leave! And would come up with weird comments as an excuse as to why she’s in my barn aisle. The sickest part is, the second time she came by Sully and Rocket were already stabbed. I had no clue.”
Sully’s owner, Hailey Krahenbuhl, said on June 1 that one of his wounds was extremely close to his jugular. If it had been hit, the result would have been fatal.
“He is extremely lucky,” Krahenbuhl wrote. “The healing process is going to take some time, probably more than 2 months until I can even ride him.
Rocket’s owner, Keira Weisbart, shared an encouraging update on May 31, writing:
“The swelling has gone down a LOT so that’s good. He’s walking good and is getting fat on grain and applesauce since he doesn’t like his medicine lol. Can’t wait to get back on my sweet boy and come back better than ever.”
A GoFundMe has been established to help with the horses’ recovery and vet bills. You can visit the fundraiser and make a donation here.
