At least 11 students are facing felony kidnapping charges if they don't turn themselves in, following disturbing details of a "hazing ritual".
The lacrosse players from Westhill High School in Syracuse, New York, are at the center of a chilling hazing ritual that ended with younger students blindfolded, tied up, and even thrown into the trunk of a car at knifepoint, per the Independent.
Prosecutors say the stunt, carried out by student athletes “went way beyond hazing.”
"I cannot adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case," said Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick. "This goes way, way beyond hazing."
According to the DA, the older players lured their unsuspecting teammates with a post-game promise of McDonald’s.
But instead of fries and burgers, the ride took a terrifying turn. The driver pretended to get lost and pulled into a remote, wooded part of the county.
That’s when masked “accomplices” emerged from the trees — dressed in black, and brandishing what appeared to be a gun and a knife.
"Some of the [victims] were able to escape," Fitzpatrick said. But not all were so lucky.
One underclassman was allegedly tied up, had a pillowcase pulled over his head, and was stuffed into a car trunk — only to be abandoned in another wooded area, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Though the student was eventually returned home unharmed, the trauma was very real.
"There was a period of time where he thought he was going to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere," Fitzpatrick said.
The whole thing was caught on camera.
"I've seen the videotape of what happened to this young man,” Fitzpatrick stated. “It is not a rite of passage. It is not a trivial matter. I don't know how long this young man will be affected by what happened to him.”
He added that the suspects can be heard on video laughing at the victims' fear — finding their terror "amusing".
“You have a kid with a hood over his head being abducted at gunpoint — someone could have been shot,” Fitzpatrick warned.
Initially, the DA gave the students 48 hours to turn themselves in or face serious charges.
“If you don’t — if you’re tougher than me, you’re a gambler and you’re going to play the odds, you don’t think you’re going to get caught — trust me, the men and women of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department are going to identify you,” Fitzpatrick said.
“You’ll be arrested, you’ll be prosecuted as an adult, and you’ll be charged with the very, very serious felony of kidnapping, perhaps in the second degree.”
Eventually, all 11 suspects surrendered by the deadline, avoiding felony charges — for now. “Non-juvenile players will be arraigned, while those underage will go directly to family court,” First Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican told CNN.
Coolican confirmed that there were "at least" 11 suspects, and while most are minors, one is over 18. “It appears that way, but I don’t know that for sure,” Fitzpatrick said when asked if all of them were on the lacrosse team.
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The school didn’t hesitate to act. Westhill Central School District Superintendent Stephen Dunham cancelled the rest of the boys’ varsity lacrosse season, even though most of the team wasn’t involved and likely had no idea what was planned.
“We must address the culture of the program, and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset,” Dunham said Tuesday.
He continued: “Hazing is an indefensible act. It can be humiliating and degrading, potentially causing physical and emotional harm.”
The district has launched its own investigation and is fully cooperating with law enforcement.
“Any behavior that negatively affects the physical safety, mental health or well-being of other students will be addressed promptly and appropriately according to our Code of Conduct,” Dunham told CNN.
“We do not shy away from difficult situations when they arise, nor do we avoid having to make difficult decisions.”
Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, did not confirm whether the gun shown in the video was real or fake but stated he did not intend to file weapons charges at this time.
No names have been released due to the players’ ages, but the investigation remains active.