School prank becomes felony kidnapping after 11 lacrosse players staged abduction that 'went way beyond hazing'
Throwing toilet roll down the stairs, setting off stink bombs in the corridors, sticking blue paper to the bathroom ceilings – just those kind of harmless pranks you might’ve played at the end of school.
But rarely does a fun prank turn into a full-on crime.
And yet one in New York became a felony kidnapping after 11 lacrosse players staged an abduction that ‘went way beyond hazing’.
The Westhill High School students who allegedly played a part in this incident turned themselves in yesterday (30 April) after authorities gave them 48 hours to do so before they faced charges.
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Now under investigation, it’s said the disturbing ritual ended up with one younger teammate in Syracuse blindfolded, tied up and stuffed into a car boot at knifepoint.
“This is criminal activity, and this is hazing on steroids," Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said, as he added it ‘could have resulted in such tragedy’.
According to reports, as part of the ‘initiation’, the players lured the younger teammates by inviting them to grab a Maccies and watch a game.
But the driver pretended to get lost before pulling over in an isolated area of the country, where masked older teammates emerged.
Wearing masks and black clothing, they allegedly imitated an abduction as the district attorney said they were armed with at least one knife and what looked like a firearm, with at least five students targeted.
All but one of the younger players managed to flee. The the one who was unable to escape reportedly had his hands tied up while a pillowcase was placed over his head and he was thrown into the boot of the car.
He was eventually returned home unharmed with no injuries reported, but Fitzpatrick warned he may suffer lasting psychological effects of the incident.
"I have seen the videotape of what happened to this young man. It is not a rite of passage. It is not a trivial matter," Fitzpatrick explained.
"I don't know how long this young man will be affected by what happened to him. Frankly, I find it incomprehensible that in this day and age somebody could have thought that they would have gotten away with something like this."
After the 11 people turned themselves in, he said he would not at this time be releasing the video.
Fitzpatrick added: “I cannot really adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case.”
He did say that he’s not ‘trying to sissify American youth’ but said amore appropriate way to ‘welcome someone onto your team and toughen them up’ might be an extra hour of practice.
“As opposed to taking someone at gunpoint, stuffing them in the back of the car and traumatising them for the rest of his life."
"We are aware of the District Attorney's statement and are continuing to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation," Lisa O'Reilly, president of the Westhill Central School District's board of education, said in a statement to CBS News.
"At this time, the District has no additional information to share. While the investigation is ongoing, we remain committed to the values of student safety, dignity, and accountability. We remain in close contact with law enforcement and remain focused on supporting our students and ensuring the safety and well-being of our school community."
It is said the team’s lacrosse season has now been cancelled.
Jess Battison