Several people within the Dresden horse racing community say they were shocked when they heard there was a shooting in a Dresden Raceway barn area late Saturday night.
While police have not identified the victim, several sources have told BlackburnNewsCK.com that he is 58-year-old Dwayne McFadden of Wallaceburg, who has a horse in barn #1.
Police say the victim had successful surgery for a non-life threatening gunshot wound at the London Health Sciences Centre and is expected to return home soon.
81-year-old Murray Hyatt of Oil Springs has horses that have raced in Dresden for many years and says he's never heard of a shooting at the track before.
"It was quite a surprise to know there was a shooting right here at the main area. I wasn't scared or anything like that because I figured it was one of a kind," says Hyatt.
Hyatt says he has known the victim and his family for about 45 years.
"I used to shoe horses for him, I was a blacksmith for quite a few years and he was from the Wallaceburg area. Between Wallaceburg and Dresden was where he was raised and he was living, I think, right in Wallaceburg," he says.
Hyatt says he doesn't know what happened but adds it's a terrible tragedy.
"I knew him, his brother and his father. I knew his father real well. No, nobody deserves to be shot," Hyatt says.
Police say they have no reason to believe there are any immediate public safety concerns and don’t believe that this shooting was accidental.
However, police are not saying if the victim was targeted, what the motive is, if anyone is in custody, if the victim has identified the suspect or if a weapon has been recovered.
Police remain on scene and are continuing to investigate.
It was business as usual at the track Monday afternoon with some horses training and getting stretched.
