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Elko Co. man accused of shooting, killing neighbor’s dog

Posted at 5:04 PM, Jul 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-01 09:56:56-04

SPRING CREEK, Nev. — An Elko County man was booked into jail Sunday after he allegedly shot his neighbor’s dog to death.

Ryley Schackman faces charges of killing the animal of another, discharging a firearm after dark, obstructing/hindering/delaying an investigation and threatening/intimidating a witness.

According to a statement by the Elko County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an address on Brent Ln. in Spring Creek after receiving a report of the shooting.

Deputies found the dog had suffered three gunshot wounds.

Schackman and another man, Andrew Thomas, initially told deputies the neighbor’s dog had breached the fence and attacked their dog, the statement said.

“During the investigation, Andrew Thomas and Ryley Schackman stated that Thomas was with their dogs for a bathroom break when the dogs began to fight through the fence,” the statement said. “Thomas went into the residence and retrieved a pistol from a locked gun cabinet, returned to the yard and shot the dog.”

But the Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy noted several inconsistencies in Thomas and Schackman’s statements.

“Further investigation revealed a witness to the incident who stated that they had observed Schackman walk to the fence as the dogs were fighting, kick the fence once and then shoot the dog which was on its owner’s property,” the statement said. “When confronted with the statement made by the witness, Thomas admitted that he had initially lied and made a false statement.”

Deputies ultimately arrested Schackman, who they said made threatening statements to Thomas as he was being escorted away.

Schackman is being held in the Elko County Jail on $12,280 bail.