Shawn Brayden Jones: Idaho man arrested for fatally shooting ex-girlfriend’s horse after she broke up with him

BRINGHAM, IDAHO: An Idaho man named Shawn Brayden Jones has been taken into custody following allegations of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend Mailee Cooper's horse named Bree.

The arrest occurred after authorities were summoned to a residence in Moreland, Idaho, on February 6, reports KSL.

Mailee Cooper's horse Bree had been staying at his property week after break up 

According to court documents, cited by the outlet, a Bingham County sheriff's deputy went to a Moreland home on February 6, at around 4.42 pm, to respond to a request for help from Jones.

Jones told the deputy that he had ended his relationship with 22-year-old Mailee Cooper the previous week and that her 12-year-old horse, Bree, had been staying on his property.

He told officers he felt the need to put Bree “down” because he thought the horse had not been fed or taken care of and was not doing well.

He said nobody had tended to the horse since January 31 and he “didn’t know what was going on with it,” according to the report.

When officers pressed for further information, Jones “stammered” and was incoherent as he spoke. According to Cooper, the horse was registered with the American Quarter Horse Association and was worth $10,000.

She told the deputy a friend of hers had fed it that day and she had visited to feed and check on the horse on February 2. Cooper was reportedly "adamant the horse was not mistreated at all."

The horse was otherwise good and had no signs of malnourishment 

 According to the report, the deputy at the scene smelled alcohol on Jones. The officer also observed bullet wounds on the horse when he tried to photograph it, but otherwise, it appeared good.

"The horse appeared to be in good health" and "there were no signs of malnourishment or neglect," the officer said.

According to the incident report, Jones' father told the deputy that Jones was behaving wildly and should face legal consequences. He said Jones “did not need to shoot the horse,” the report said, 

According to police reports, the deputy spoke to Cooper, who claimed that she had visited the property at around 2 pm that day.

She said that Jones had been drinking and got "irate" over their breakup which made Cooper leave the house to fetch a truck and trailer for her horse. On her way, Cooper got a call from a relative of Jones who told her that Jones had shot the horse.

Mailee Cooper had adopted Bree when she was three years old  

In a GoFundMe set up to help Cooper “purchase another amazing performance horse,” a friend wrote that Cooper had adopted her pet, Bree, when the mare was just three years old. 

“She then put in all the time, energy, hard work, and money it took to start the mare and finish this mare herself,” read a part of the fundraiser.

“This horse meant more to Mailee than most could possibly imagine.” Jones was booked into Bingham County Jail, as per East Idaho News. He was charged with felony malicious injury to property, the outlets reported.

While he was being booked, he “made a point to state that he did not regret shooting the horse,” the incident report said, according to the outlet. It wasn't immediately clear if he had entered a plea.