Gay man’s eight horses killed in barn arson: Anti-gay grafitti left behind
“I just can’t believe somebody would do something like this. And do this to poor animals…. I couldn’t get the door open. I could still hear horses kicking. And I tried as hard as I could to get them out, and just couldn’t get them out in time….”
Brent Whitehouse, a gay man living in McConnelsville, located in Morgan County, Ohio, speaking with a WHIZ-TV reporter on camera. A one week-old foal and seven adult horses reportedly died, one of which was about to give birth, says Whitehouse. (WHIZ-TV)
Some of the exterior walls of the barn remain, and images show that large words were spray-painted to convey two messages “Fags Are Freaks” and “Burn In Hell.” Whitehouse told another TV station (WBNS-TV) that the estimated damage & loss is worth around $500,000. He added:
“Whoever did this, I can’t believe they would take the time to actually harm an innocent animal. Because the way that barn burned, they had to be around those horses. And to see a little baby colt, a week old, and know that they’re going to kill it.”
The fire occurred on Easter Sunday, April 24, around 11:30 p.m. The fire department reportedly took 2 hours to douse, and Fire Department Chief Gary Woodward told a local newspaper (Zanesville Times Recorder):
“We stayed through the night after seeing the painting and called the fire marshal’s office…. We felt it was a crime scene at that point.”
The Zanesville Times Recorder identifies Brent Whitehouse as “a horse trainer and breeder, and owner of an insurance company.”
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