Numerous high school lacrosse players in New York are facing charges following an alleged hazing prank that spiraled out of control.
Onondaga County First Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican announced on Wednesday that all 11 Westhill High School lacrosse players suspected of hazing a teammate in Syracuse have turned themselves in.
CNN reports that the non-juvenile students will face arraignment, while the juveniles will go directly to family court, Coolican said. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick noted that they face misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment.
The athletes, who are not named due to their age, face accusations of victimizing five younger players in an incident that Fitzpatrick described as “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.
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[Feature Photo via Pixabay]
