POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A pasture in Fort Meade turned into a grim crime scene last month after nine cattle were gunned down under the cover of night. Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Crimes Unit are now scrambling for leads in what they are treating as a targeted shooting on Lake Buffum Road West.
The owner of the property discovered the carnage on the morning of March 19, 2026, and immediately alerted authorities.
According to investigators, the unknown shooters struck the night before, leaving behind a trail of dead and dying animals. When deputies arrived, they found three cows already dead…