Appalling moment pack of warped teenagers shoot family’s friendly pet cat dead – then pull out their phones to film kitty writhe in agony as she died

A chilling home-surveillance video captured the moment a group of depraved teenagers shot a family’s beloved cat dead.

The footage was recorded around earlier last month in a quiet neighborhood in Salem, Oregon, where the cat’s owners, the Steeles, thought things were safe.

The Steeles said they ‘didn’t think twice’ about letting their animals outside, before the disturbing late night footage emerged.  

In the video, five teenage boys surround the cat, named Vortex, who appears to be lounging on the corner of the street.

After a few moments, one of the sick boys pulls out a long-barreled gun and aims it at Vortex, who was cherished for her sweet and friendly personality. 

Then the teenager fired his gun and struck the cat. 

Vortex’s devastated owner, Jesse Steele, described the horrific scene. 

He explained that the teenagers weren’t content with merely killing the cat. They wanted to film the dying animal, too.

‘She was flopping on the ground, and then there were like five different kids who were around her with their phones taking videos, as if it was some entertainment,’ he told KGW8.

Around a minute later, the same deranged teenager approaches the cat with his gun drawn. 

With his hood over his head, the teen crouches down and fires at Vortex from a point-blank range, killing the cat. 

The video then shows the callous young people hurrying away from the street corner and the dead animal.

But a few minutes later, the horde of teens returns. They pick up the cat’s corpse and carry it away to a neighbor’s yard, where the Steeles say it was later found.

Jesse Steele hopes that the vicious teenagers will be brought to justice. 

‘And you’re proud of it?’ Steele asked. ‘By taking a video like ‘oh, I’m gonna show people my trophy’ or ‘I’m going to twistedly re-watch it 24/7.”

The Salem Police Department recently charged two 17-year-old teens in connection with the cat’s slaying.

Both of the boys were charged with first-degree aggravated animal abuse. One of them was additionally charged with evidence tampering. 

The teens pick up the cat’s corpse and carry it away to a neighbor’s yard, where the Steeles say it was later found

But the investigation remains ongoing.  The teenager who shot the cat has not been identified, and the weapon he used has not been recovered.

Vortex is remembered as a gentle and unsuspecting cat. She trusted humans.

‘People took advantage of her trust,’ Steele said.