The statue, which stood at the corner of Lincoln Highway and South Second Street, was knocked down around 1:15 a.m. when the four NIU club hockey players walked from a nearby bar to take pictures with it, according to DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas.

“Downtown video cameras revealed that the posing turned to hands-on pawing and then one of the males attempted to mount the statue from behind,” Nicklas said in a statement. “This caused the statue to fall forward, severing the polyfoam statue at the ankles. The four then laid the foot-less statue on its back at the rear of its stand and fled the scene.”

A photograph of the aftermath shows the husky’s two feet still attached to the ground while the rest of its body rests on a brick structure behind it.

DeKalb police identified the students through an investigation and review of footage from multiple downtown cameras, Nicklas said. Authorities invited the four to the station for interviews, where they admitted responsibility, he added. They were later charged and directed to appear before DeKalb’s administrative hearing judge.

“They face possible fines and/or restitution for the criminal damage to public property,” Nicklas said. “The statue is not reparable.”

The Victor Huskie statue was a familiar sight for students and residents, serving as a popular photo spot and a symbol of university pride. Its destruction has sparked disappointment among community members who viewed it as a local landmark.

The case will proceed through DeKalb’s administrative adjudication process, where the students could be ordered to pay for the damage. The city has not yet announced a timeline for replacing the statue.

Nicklas’s statement did not specify the exact charges or potential penalties the students face. The students’ names have not been released.