Syracuse, New York
Cnn
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While two other Crosstown rivals played an exciting butt game that went on overtime one night last week, some members of the Westhill High School university team were in the stands developing a plan.
Team members sent themselves by a text, suitable that time was right, it was a good night to play a farce on young players, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.
This farce on April 24 – an abduction of staging – has become uncontrollable, leaving a traumatized player, his older teammates arrested, and the managers of the school and the application of the laws rush to cope with the benefits while a united community tries to give meaning to all this.
The young teammates thought they would stop at McDonald’s before returning home, but what happened that night led to 11 students confronted with criminal charges and that the District of the county of Onondaga, William J. Fitzpatrick, called “criminal activity” and “hazing on steroids”.
The farce, initially targeting several players, finally involved the removal of one of them, who was attached and filled in a trunk with a pillowcase above his head, the authorities said. The 11 adolescents were accused of illegal imprisonment in the second degree – an offense, according to a complaint partially exposed Thursday by the Sheriff’s office in the county of Onondaga and the office of the County of Onondaga.
The director of the county of Onondaga, J. Ryan McMahon, told CNN that for the students who “made this horrible error, it is a real lesson in life”.
They are under national spotlights “because of their stupidity. And I think … What is painful is that these families know each other. These children know each other. ”
After the end of the match, some of the students piled up in a car, and instead of going to McDonald’s, the driver stopped in a remote area, saying that he was lost, according to the DA.
Then, the accomplices dressed in black, holding what seemed to be at least a handgun and a knife, jumped wood, pretending to be captors, said Fitzpatrick.
Most of the victims ran but a student could not run away. The suspects put a pillowcase above his head, tied him and threw him into the trunk of the car before dropping him off in another wooded area of the county, said the district prosecutor.
Some suspects returned shortly after, took the victim and brought him home, according to the sources.
The incident was captured on video, and “you can hear that some (suspects) have found it fun,” said Fitzpatrick.
“They were trying to be imaginary gangsters,” said one of the sources, a family member of one of the accused players. The person characterized the incident as a farce that went wrong and criticized the initial relationships as describing in an inaccurate way what happened.
The source also said that students used an airsoft pistol, a non -lethal weapon that draws light plastic dumplings.
The victim’s family reported the school incident the next morning, according to another source, a person close to the situation that participated in team meetings on the incident.
The next day at school, a video of the incident circulated among some of the students, according to the source. Rumors flew in the community on what happened.
The school official of the school’s resources reported the incident to the Sheriff’s office, which then launched an investigation, said the UNONDAGA County Subherif Jeffrey Passino at a press conference. The school district also launched an investigation.
“I don’t think anyone understands meaning or gravity at first,” said the source.
The families of the students involved, the suspects and the victims were united so that the district prosecutor will advance with criminal charges, according to sources.
Some families do not agree with the description by DA of what happened the night of the farce, according to the source which is a member of the family of one of the suspects.
“You have had families in difficulty because they know each other,” said McMahon. “And instead of having families who know each other made very difficult decisions, the district prosecutor made this very difficult decision of their hands, in his very capable hands.”
Fitzpatrick offered a 48 -hour amnesty contract on Tuesday, where the 11 suspects were authorized to go for an accusation of offense of illegal imprisonment. Otherwise, the students would be arrested and faced a more serious accusation of kidnapping. The 11 suspects went to the Sheriff of the county of Onondaga on Wednesday.
Westhill high school serves a rich and welded community at the western end of Syracuse, New York. The hazing incident is the city’s speech.
“It is so shocking for the conscience of the whole community,” said the source close to the situation, which participated in team meetings. “Everyone is in shock. Everyone spends white nights, whether your children have been involved or not. How did this happen to this? How did it happen? ”
School officials and administrators were also left in shock following the hazing incident, the team’s head coach recognizing the controversy on Wednesday.
“As a first -year -old chief coach, I paid everything I have in this team – working to direct with integrity, in favor of a strong team culture and supporting our athletes not only as players, but as young people who sail in a complex world. Mental health, education and the family were the cornerstone of my approach – and they will always be,” said coach Aaron Cahill in a link post.
“This week was one of the most difficult in my life, but I am incredibly grateful for the support of my family, our community and those who know who I am and what I represent. While we all start the long healing process and determine the path to follow, continue to keep our program – and in your thoughts – in your thoughts, “said Cahill.
Cahill added that he and his coach staff “have completely cooperated with the current investigation. We have been confirmed that he had absolutely no prior knowledge of this incident. ”
Meanwhile, the 11 students arrested were afraid to leave their homes because they were harassed in public, according to the source who is a member of the family of one of the suspects. Students began school suspension audiences, sources said.
Although no one was physically injured, following the hazing incident, the rest of the butt season for university boys was canceled. The players and their parents were informed at a meeting on Tuesday, according to the source close to the situation that participated in the team meetings.
Parents and players have been informed that the reason for the cancellation was due to increased media attention and that the teams would not want to play against Westhill, said the source.
The Superintendent of the School District of Westhill Central, Stephen Dunham, said that even if most of the team was not involved in the incident or knew the plans in advance, “we must approach the culture of the program, and the most appropriate way to do so with a reset.”
Students have pulled pranks in the past, but nothing at this degree, according to the source which is a member of the family of one of the suspects.
Sources assumed that social media could be a possible influence.
“It wouldn’t be surprised if, later, we learned that there was something stupid on the internet they learned and that they wanted to reproduce,” said McMahon.
The members of the community say that they do not want this incident to define their city or the boys’ butt program from Westhill high school.
The situation illustrates how “sophomoric pranks can go so bad,” said McMahon.
The 11 students “were very lucky,” said McMahon.
“Something horrible has not happened to these victims. And because of this, they will have the opportunity to learn and grow from that as young men. And that’s what I hope to do without,” he said. “And I hope that as a community, especially on the west side of our community, where everyone knows each other, we can finally heal and we can go ahead.”
