Numerous high school lacrosse players in New York are facing charges following an alleged hazing prank that spiraled out of control.
Joseph Coolican, the First Chief Assistant District Attorney of Onondaga County, stated on Wednesday that all 11 Westhill High School lacrosse players accused of hazing a teammate in Syracuse have surrendered themselves.
According to CNN, the students who are not minors will undergo arraignment, while those who are minors will proceed directly to family court, as mentioned by Coolican. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick remarked that the charges against them are misdemeanors for unlawful imprisonment.
The names of the athletes are withheld due to their age, and they stand accused of targeting five younger team members in an event that Fitzpatrick labeled as going “way beyond hazing.”
On Tuesday, Fitzpatrick offered the suspects a chance to surrender within 48 hours to face less serious misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment. The suspects turned themselves in just before the deadline.
Most of the defendants are minors, but at least one is over 18, according to Coolican.
The incident, described as a staged kidnapping prank on April 24, allegedly traumatized one player, leading to the teammates’ arrests.
NBC News reports that local investigators said the older team members took younger players to a secluded wooded area, where other students in dark clothing appeared with at least one handgun and one knife.
Some players managed to escape, but at least one was tied up, hooded with a pillowcase, and placed in the trunk of a car. Fitzpatrick stated that although the student did not sustain physical injuries and was eventually returned home, he believed he would be left abandoned in the woods at one point.
“I cannot really adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case,” Fitzpatrick said during a news conference Tuesday. “This went way beyond hazing.”
Westhill Central School District is reportedly cooperating with the investigation.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Pixabay]
