Louie the Loper faced a close call after unidentified robbers attempted to steal his statue Sunday night.
The UNK Police Department received a call at 9:47 p.m. from a pair of students who came across the robbery in action. Ficci Rast, UNKPD chief, said officers rushed to the site, but the robbers had skipped away before the police got to the scene.
UNKPD has adopted additional security measures while they track down suspects.
“Louie the Loper is the heart of UNK’s campus,” Rast said. “We work hard to keep students safe, and that protection extends to the Louie statue. Our students would be lost without him. We will do everything in our power to catch the criminals and make sure Louie the Loper gets the justice he deserves.”
Noe Bahdie, one of the students who witnessed the attempt, said she was walking back to her dorm with a friend when she saw a commotion at the statue’s site. Four men were standing around the antelope statue, each trying to lift one of the statue’s legs.
Bahdie said it sounded like they were chanting “No statue, more parking.”
“After I called the police, I went over to the robbers and asked what they were up to,” Bahdie said. “My curiosity got the better of me once I heard the chanting. They said they wanted to take out the Louie statue to get more parking on campus. I’m not sure where they planned to put the statue, but they took off once they saw the police cars coming.”
The robbers were wearing ski masks so Bahdie was unable to identify them.
Enee Bodie, a junior majoring in basket weaving, was with Bahdie when the two spotted the robbers.
“I think the robbers had good intentions, but they really didn’t think their plan through,” Bodie said. “It’s not like they were going to free up that much space for more parking stalls. At most, you could get two spots out of the space where Louie’s statue stands.”
Since the attempted robbery, UNKPD has added a security fence around the statue and more surveillance cameras. Police officers have also begun rotating shifts of standing guard at the statue’s site.
Students have taken to social media to share their love for Louie following the attempted antelope-napping. Sum Buddy, a senior majoring in quilt making, started a “Love for Louie” Facebook group.
“I can’t believe someone would try and steal Louie,” Buddy said. “I want more parking too, but not at the expense of our beloved mascot. I think it’s important that we students use our voices to show how much Louie means to us. Then maybe they will think twice before trying to take him again.”
Anyone with information regarding potential suspects can contact UNKPD at 1-800-APRIL-FOOLS.
DISCLAIMER: This story is a part of our annual April Fools’ issue, this story is not real. Happy April Fools’ Day!
