A community is on edge Monday night after the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said a mule and horse were killed with a crossbow.

Neighbors tell us they're in shock and some are worried about their own animals. 

"It's horrific. I mean, it's a horrible thing," said Kathy Hope, a neighbor.

Right now, the sheriff's offices in Cherokee and DeKalb Counties are investigating after the horse and mule were killed early last Friday morning.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," said Greg Starnes, another neighbor. 

Neighbors say this area is quiet, and their neighbor who owned the horse and the mule was frequently lending them a hand.

"I can't imagine the agony that those animals went through. I see them everyday. They'll come up to the edge of the pasture," said Hope. 

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office couldn't say just yet whether this is an isolated incident, but it is investigating and adding extra patrols in the area. Our crew noticed one of those patrols while out talking to neighbors.

If you have any information, you're asked to contact the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office at 256-845-3801.