Five Pennsylvania teens cited after posting photo with lineup of dead animals

Five Pennsylvania teens were cited Wednesday for bludgeoning to death some of the creatures they were seen posing around on social media.

Wildlife Conservation Officer Jason Kelley told the Bloomsburg Press Enterprise the teens didn’t have an explanation for why they killed opossums, raccoons and bullfrogs on June 7.

Kelley said after one of the teens posted the photo to Instagram, the commission started to receive some complaints.

The animals included two beaten opossums, a raccoon, 10 frogs, two pigeons and a snake. They told officials that the raccoon was roadkill.

According to WNEP-TV, some of the teens graduated this month and were on their high school’s football state championship team.

"Some kids that are good kids, college bound. Never has any trouble with the law, trouble in school, made a bad decision," Jim Roth, the head football coach at Southern Columbia, told the station. "Some of these kids are not even aware of all the laws as far as small animals."

Some in the community also told the station that they thought their behavior was stupid, while others believe it’s more serious than childish behavior.

"I had animals myself and I would rather help them and hurt them,” Cyril Kowalick, of Catawissa, said. “The punishment they get, the punishment they get and you do the time or whatever."

The teens were cited for various infractions, some for unlawfully killing an opossum or possessing a bullfrog out of season. Four have paid fines; a fifth hasn't entered a plea yet.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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