11 Syracuse, NY high school lacrosse players charged with misdemeanors in kidnapping hazing scheme

All 11 students from an upstate New York high school accused of orchestrating an armed kidnapping hazing event have turned themselves in to authorities, the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

The suspects, who are believed to be members of the West Hill High School lacrosse team in Syracuse, New York, were given 48 hours to surrender in a deal that would see them face only misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment. If they had not turned themselves in, they would have faced felony kidnapping charges. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said during a press conference that the suspects targeted at least five younger teammates in an apparent hazing scheme, described as "criminal activity" and "hazing on steroids." The incident occurred on April 24.

The victims were led to believe that they would be brought to a lacrosse game and then taken to McDonald's for dinner, but the older teammates had other ideas. Instead, the younger teammates were set up in a ploy in which the older students pretended to become lost on the road before being ambushed by culprits dressed in all black. Fitzpatrick said that the younger teammates were taken to the woods, and while some of them were able to get away, at least one victim had a pillowcase placed on his head, his hands tied behind his back, and a firearm and knife pointed at him before he was tossed into the back of a vehicle.

The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office was alerted to the incident by the school's resource officer, which initiated an investigation.

"This was a group effort. Some people were assigned different roles," said Fitzpatrick. "I don't care who held the gun. His role is no different than the guy who held the knife, than the guy who held nothing, than the guy who dragged this poor kid into the trunk of a car. They're all in this together."

The district attorney said the younger teammate had fears that he would be "abandoned in the middle of nowhere." He was eventually returned home but will likely face "long-term" emotional damage. It's unclear if the victim sustained any physical injuries during the attack.

Steve Dunham, Westhill Central School District Superintendent, announced that the remainder of the boys lacrosse season had been canceled due to "reports of a potential off-campus hazing incident" that involved several students of the varsity boys lacrosse team, PIX 11 reported.

"Let me be clear: the majority of the varsity boys lacrosse team was NOT involved in the incident from last week, nor were they aware of it ahead of time," Dunham said. "Some may argue that all student-athletes shouldn't be punished for the actions of a few. While I understand that perspective, we must address the culture of the program, and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset."

"Hazing is an indefensible act," he added. "We will address inappropriate behavior that negatively impacts members of our school community promptly and appropriately according to our Code of Conduct."

Most of the suspects are minors, but at least one is over the age of 18, Fitzpatrick said. The 18-year-old student will be arraigned in court, while the others will be taken to juvenile family court.