TULSA, Okla. — An Arkansas couple who jumped into action to help the victims of the recent shooting at the Osage Casino Hotel said in the midst of the chaos, their dogs got out and were caught in the crossfire.
Sara Scowden said the shooting on April 12 happened right outside of their first floor hotel room.
“They’re our babies, you know? We don’t have kids, and they are absolute angels,” said Sara. “Well trained sweethearts and just innocent.”
Sara said the dogs, Busch and Cora, are family.
“My husband heard the commotion, the gunshots, and opened the door to help save victims…our dogs got out and started…following the suspects out of the building,” Sara said.
She said her husband and mother were in town visiting her dad who had been in hospice care.
Blake Scowden recounted the moment the shooting happened.
“Sara’s mother was asleep and I woke up to the noise of a woman screaming in the hallway and my military training kicked it and I just went out and I saw her on the floor with two gunshot wounds and there was a male around in front of me that just got shot, so I grabbed and pulled the two of them while the shooter was continuously shooting at me trying to bring them in the room,” said Blake.
Sara said Cora was tragically lost in the gunfire.
“Cora, my husband’s service dog, was found deceased [and] covered in blood, shot on somebody’s porch later that morning,” said Sara.
Sara said Cora was trained to ground her husband who is a recently disabled Veteran in times of stress and anxiety.
She said Busch, who is a retired therapy dog, is still missing.
Sara said witnesses saw the dogs run into the wooded area by the casino, but with law enforcement searching for suspects, they were not able to chase after them.
“We’ve been searching day and night throughout the city…following any possible lead and nothing’s turned up,” said Sara.
She said they are trying to hang on to hope that Busch was not hit and did not meet the same fate as Cora.
Sara said Busch has a white front right paw and white markings on his chest.
It has been a trying time for the family. Sara is the primary caregiver for her mother with advanced dementia and was visiting her dad who was in hospice.
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The Osage County Sheriff’s Office said they are still searching for two persons of interest in the case: Malik Sampson and an unidentified male.
If you have any information regarding Sampson’s whereabouts or details related to the shooting, call the Osage County Sheriff’s Office at 918-287-3131.
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