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ELKO, Minn. (AP) A teenage boy is suspected of shooting two of his neighbors' horses as they grazed in a pasture south of the Twin Cities.

The boy's father says his 13-year-old son is autistic but offered no explanation why shots were fired at the horses. The father says, "The kid loves animals." Tim Duffrin of New Market Township says his horse, Hope, was shot in the face, shoulder and back with a .22-caliber rifle and possibly grazed by a fourth bullet. Another of Duffrin's horses, Hope's mother Duchess, was shot in the face. Both horses are expected to survive.

Duffrin says his wife, Kim, saw a boy running away in the distance as she returned to the barn.

The Scott County sheriff's office is investigating. No charges have been filed.

Information from: KARE-TV, http://www.kare11.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-12-09 0820CST | save this article / add to your favorites list