Eleven New York state high school athletes accused of a hazing prank with their lacrosse teammates have turned themselves in after 48-hour deadline.
According to CNN, all eleven Westhill High School lacrosse players suspected of being involved in hazing a teammate in Syracuse, New York, have turned themselves in, Onondaga County First Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican said on WednesdaY, April 30, 2025.
The non-juvenile students will be arraigned, while the juveniles will go “straight to family court,” Coolican said. They face misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment, District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said.
The Westhill High School student athletes – who are not being identified due to their age – are accused of victimizing five younger players in an incident that goes “way beyond hazing,” Fitzpatrick said on Tuesday.
Fitzpatrick made a one-time, public offer to the suspects on Tuesday: Turn yourself in to the sheriff’s department within 48 hours, and you can face a less serious misdemeanor charge of unlawful imprisonment. The suspects surrendered on Tuesday and Wednesday, within a day of the district attorney’s hard deadline, Fitzpatrick said.
Most of the suspects are minors, but at least one is over the age of 18, according to Coolican.
