A Newport News, Virginia cat was killed over the weekend when someone at a party in an apartment complex fired a shot into the floor. The cat was fatally injured when the bullet came through the ceiling into the apartment below.
Caution: This is a very disturbing story. Please stop reading if you think it might upset you.
The party taking place off of Nelson Drive got out of hand. Police arrested and charged 25-year-old Aren Floryanzia with damage to property and a weapons offense after he discharged a firearm into the floor. It’s unknown whether he shot through the floor accidentally or on purpose. Eleven-month-old Bowie was killed.
Timothy and Bianca Masters returned home to find Bowie curled up in his litter box, barely alive.
Bianca described the condition of her home and cat during an interview with WAVY.com
“It’s just hard. It’s very hard. I turned the light on and there was just blood everywhere. The counters were covered, the floor was covered, the wall.”
“There’s other people, there’s families, there’s babies, there’s kids, there’s pets….Guns are — they’re not toys.” – Bianca Masters
From what the family gathered, Bowie was struck as he was in his favorite spot waiting for his family to return home. The bullet went through his lungs and out the front of his stomach, Bianca stated.
The family called 911 and rushed Bowie to the vet. He survived the surgery but the stress from his injuries was too much and they made the heartbreaking decision to have Bowie humanely euthanized.
Timothy told WAVY.com
“He was here by himself bleeding out for 11 hours straight. That’s like what really upsets me because he was suffering all that time and we could’ve been here.”
The couple is still facing a $4,000 vet bill for the surgery. If you’d like to make a donation a GoFundMe webpage is here.
Note from Elisa below
I wanted to cover this story because I’m seeing too much of this type of situation on the news. Children are dying from injuries received when some idiot shoots through a wall or a window and hits the person inside. Some are found and charged but many slip through the cracks and remain at large, where they remain a risk to everyone.
Rest in peace, Bowie. You didn’t deserve any of this and neither did your family. Unfortunately, the punishment will most likely be next to nothing because that’s just how animal cruelty cases go.
I haven’t been able to locate the arrest and bond record online. Let’s hope he’s still being held. There are no pictures of this man on the internet as yet. I will update the post as when I can.
Source: https://pressfrom.info/us/news/crime/-297779-shots-fired-during-newport-news-party-injure-cat-in-nearby-apartment.html
