The investigation into the deer-torture video that went viral out of a small Pennsylvania town and sparked outrage across the country is nearly complete.

State Game Warden Chip Brunst told WJAC-TV on Monday the next step is to present evidence from the Game Commission’s investigation to the Jefferson County district attorney’s office, which will likely happen after the holidays.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission opened an investigation into the video from Brookville that appeared to show two teens laughing as they tortured a white-tailed buck that had been shot, but not immediately killed.

The brutal video caused an outcry in the public, with some of the loudest and most passionate messages coming from Pennsylvania hunters, commission officials said.

The teens were identified by Brookville officials as Alex Smith, 18, and Cody Hetrick, 16. Smith’s stepfather is the police chief in Brookville, and Hetrick’s parents own and operate a barbecue restaurant.

Close to 700,000 people have now signed a Change.org petition for criminal prosecution.

In the video, two teens appear to kick the deer in the face, step on its legs and rip out its antlers, all while it was still alive but unable to escape because it had been shot.

The commission announced early in their investigation that “the conduct portrayed in the video is reprehensible and potentially a violation of the law.” The actions on the video “do not represent ethical hunting practices or individuals who we would be proud to consider Pennsylvania hunters.”

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