DA gives students involved in hazing of lacrosse players 48 hours to surrender or face kidnapping charges

Those involved in an apparent hazing scheme in upstate New York have been given a few days to turn themselves in or face kidnapping charges for the incident, which authorities say targeted younger members of the Westhill High School boys lacrosse team. 

Eleven students who allegedly played a part in the event were given 48 hours to surrender, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said Tuesday at a news conference. Fitzpatrick told CBS News the deadline for the perpetrators to turn themselves in will be “close of business Thursday.”

“This is criminal activity, and this is hazing on steroids,” Fitzpatrick said at the news conference, noting that it “could have resulted in such tragedy.”   

Fitzpatrick said his office and the county sheriff’s department are working together to prosecute the case, after the sheriff received a call from the high school’s resource officer reporting that a newer member of the boys lacrosse team had been tied up and thrown into the back of a teammate’s vehicle. The incident seemed to be an example of hazing or, if not, some sort of extreme prank, Fitzpatrick said.

Older lacrosse players set up their plot by arranging an evening out with five younger members of the Westhill team, Fitzpatrick said, which was supposed to include watching a lacrosse game and picking up food from McDonald’s. An older player was driving the younger ones and pretended to get lost in an isolated section of the county, where a group of accomplices emerged in masks and black clothing, imitating an abduction with at least one gun and one knife, according to the district attorney. 

All of the younger players escaped except for one, whose hands were tied while a pillowcase was placed over his head, and he was thrown into the trunk of the car, Fitzpatrick said.

“I could imagine a deputy coming upon a scene, seeing a kid with a hood over his head being abducted at gunpoint by a series of individuals all dressed in black and masked,” he added. “If that individual opened fire, you know, would that be outside the realm of possibility? I think the opposite would be true.”

No injuries have been reported in connection with the incident, and the perpetrators returned the student to his home at the end of the night, Fitzpatrick said. Citing a video, he said authorities believe 11 people, who appear to be on the boys lacrosse team, carried out the scheme and urged them to come forward in order to avoid facing kidnapping charges and being tried as adults. The identities or exact ages of the people involved have not been released.

“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 said. “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.” 

As of Tuesday, no charges had been filed. The district attorney said those who choose to turn themselves in will likely avoid criminal records and face prosecution in family court instead. A representative for the school district told CBS News in a statement that they are cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation.

“We are aware of the District Attorney’s statement and are continuing to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation,” said Lisa O’Reilly, president of the Westhill Central School District’s board of education, 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.”