Authorities are warning members of a Syracuse high school lacrosse team to come forward and turn themselves in to face charges in an incident that a prosecutor says “went way beyond hazing.”
Investigators say that members of the Westhill High School team are facing misdemeanor charges of abuse over a bizarre act of hazing, ESPN reported.
Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick says that some team members kidnapped several fellow players by claiming that they were going to watch a game and then go to a McDonald’s afterward. Instead, the victims were driven to a remote area where other members of the team waited. Some were armed with knives and a gun.
The victims were grabbed, tied up, blindfolded, and put in the trunks of cars. There were initially five students subject to the sham abductions, but some got away.
“I cannot adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case,” Fitzpatrick explained. “This goes way, way beyond hazing.”
Fitzpatrick added that the students were not physically harmed, but of the mental abuse, he said, “emotionally, that’s going to be long term.”
“This is not lighting a bag on fire on Halloween and sticking it in your driveway, this is criminal activity,” he said, adding that it could have led to a fatal shooting if police had come across the scene and saw “a kid with a hood over his head being abducted at gunpoint.”
Some of the events were recorded on video, and police have identified eleven teens who officers say were involved.
Prosecutors say that the members of the team that were involved in the hazing have 48 hours to turn themselves in to face prosecutors.
Fitzpatrick said that those who turn themselves in will likely only face misdemeanor charges, but those who don’t agree to face justice could be charged with felony charges.
The prosecutor also issued a warning to the parents.
“Don’t come crying to me two weeks from now and say, ‘You charged my little baby with kidnapping.’ Yeah, that’s right. Most of my prosecutors can win cases that are on videotape,” he said.
Westhill School District Superintendent Steve Dunham assured parents that the district has the mental health of children in mind.
“Our top priority is always the physical safety, mental health, and well-being of our students,” Dunham said, adding, “Any behavior that negatively affects any of these aspects for other students will be addressed promptly and appropriately according to our Code of Conduct.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, X at WTHuston, or Truth Social at @WarnerToddHuston.
The post Investigators Warn Teens to Turn Themselves in Over Hazing Incident appeared first on Breitbart.
