A Salem family is mourning the loss of their beloved cat, Vortex, after a disturbing incident captured on home surveillance footage. The Steele family’s cameras recorded a group of individuals shooting and killing their cat outside their home. The Salem Police have initiated an animal abuse investigation in response to the incident.
Jesse Steele, the cat’s owner, expressed his heartbreak, emphasizing how someone took advantage of Vortex’s trust. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. last Friday when surveillance footage captured a group of young people noticing the cat on the street corner. One individual within the group then proceeded to use what appeared to be a long-barreled gun to shoot the cat.
Steele recounted the harrowing scene, describing how the group callously observed the cat’s suffering while filming the incident on their phones. After shooting the cat twice, the group hastily fled the scene, returning momentarily to move the lifeless body to a neighbor’s yard.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Steele expressed gratitude for their home surveillance system, which captured the incident. However, he acknowledged the potential distress such an event could cause for other families without similar security measures.
Despite ongoing investigations, Salem Police have yet to make any arrests or release further details about the case. They urge any witnesses who have not come forward to contact the Salem Police non-emergency line and reference case number SMP24-39245.
