Three suspects have been identified and criminal charges are pending after multiple stray cats were shot with a heavy-duty dart gun at a Tennessee gas station, exposing what authorities say may be part of a much longer pattern of animal cruelty. According to the National Enquirer, what started as a rescue mission over the weekend has turned into a criminal investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The case has also sparked outrage over the treatment of a feral cat colony that had lived near the gas station for years. The disturbing events came to light on Saturday night, Sept. 5, when volunteers were alerted to what had happened at the Honeysuckle Exxon gas station in Erin, Tennessee. The kittens remained surprisingly affectionate When rescuers arrived at the property, they found the body of a dead cat alongside a badly injured kitten. Initial medical assessments indicated that both animals had been shot with large darts fired from a high-powered blowgun. The surviving kitten had a long metal dart running completely through her torso. She was found hiding underneath a heavy metal storage container on the gas station property. Despite her injuries, the kitten remained surprisingly affectionate. Veterinary workers said she continued purring and “making biscuit” while they stabilized her ahead of emergency surgery. The Nashville-based rescue organization later posted photos of the wounded kitten and the weapon on social media while asking the public for help. They also offered a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The post quickly spread online, bringing in a large number of tips and putting more pressure on authorities to identify whoever was behind the attacks. But rescuers soon discovered that the shooting may have been only part of the problem. Employees at the gas station and regular customers told the rescue group that the woods behind the Honeysuckle Exxon had long been home to a feral cat colony. The group was originally believed to contain between 25 and 30 cats, many of which would come out of the woods to be fed by people in the area. When volunteers conducted a count after the weekend’s attacks, they found only nine cats still alive. Witnesses and community members alleged that the missing cats had not simply disappeared. Instead, they believed the animals had been deliberately hunted over a longer period. Some of the cats that were found dead, as well as some survivors, reportedly had sections of their fur and skin cut away. Investigators eventually identified three suspects connected to the dart attacks. Police also recovered the dart gun believed to have been used in the shootings and released photographs of the weapon as part of the investigation. Community volunteers are looking for other suspects Authorities have not yet released the names or ages of the three suspects. The specific charges they will face have also not been announced as police continue processing the case through the Tennessee judicial system. The investigation comes as Tennessee law provides for serious penalties in cases involving extreme animal cruelty. Aggravated animal cruelty can include intentionally killing, maiming or torturing an animal and can be prosecuted as a Class E felony. For the volunteers who arrived expecting to rescue an injured kitten, the discovery has become something much bigger. They are now trying to determine what happened to the rest of the cats that once lived in the woods behind a Tennessee gas station.