Overview

• Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick has given 11 Westhill High School students a 48-hour window to turn themselves in to avoid felony kidnapping charges.
• The incident involved older lacrosse players luring younger teammates into a staged abduction, complete with masks, weapons, and binding one victim before abandoning him in the woods.
• Those who surrender will face misdemeanor unlawful imprisonment charges likely handled in family court, while others risk adult felony charges with potential prison time.
• The Westhill Central School District has canceled the varsity lacrosse season and launched an independent investigation into the hazing incident.
• Prosecutors emphasize the severity of the case, describing it as 'hazing on steroids' and pursuing charges irrespective of victim families' preferences.