Westhill lacrosse hazing called a 'mistake made by good people'

As new details emerge on the incident, a former teammate worries about its impact on those involved, the game of lacrosse and the Westhill high school community

The hazing incident involving the Westhill (NY) high school lacrosse team may have started as a prank, but it spiraled out of control, leading to potential criminal charges and the cancelation of the remainder of the team's season. / Daniel DeLoach/Utica Observer-Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The evening of April 24th seemed like a typical night off for a group of high school lacrosse teammates in Central New York. With no game of their own, several members of the Westhill High lacrosse team took in another local contest, at a rival school, with plans to cap off their evening with a stop at a local fast food restaurant.

The events which took place on the trip from the game to the restaurant, however, were anything but typical.

They also do not reflect the typical behavior of those allegedly involved in the hazing act, according to a former teammate who gave an exclusive interview to ABC News this week on Good Morning America.

Gage Talucci, a Westhill student in the junior class, who left the team a few weeks prior to the hazing incident said, "I think this was a mistake that was made by good people that I had known for many years," during the interview.

A frightening prank gone wrong

The details of a hazing incident, which has brought international attention to this Syracuse high school community, continue to emerge. It has been described as everything from a criminal act of kidnapping to poor judgement by a group of high school kids looking to prank some of their teammates.

As described by Onodaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick, the event was "hazing on steroids."

As many as 11 teens were involved in the plan to prank the younger lacrosse players. According to multiple reports, the victims were in a vehicle that pulled over during the drive from the lacrosse game to a McDonald's restaurant. The driver of the car claimed to be lost.

While the car was stopped, a large group of teens emerged from a wooded area, dressed in black, pretending to be kidnappers, according to Fitzpatrick. A number of the potential victims fled from the scene, but the perpetrators, which reportedly had at least one knife and a handgun, grabbed one of the players, threw a pillowcase over his head, tied him up and threw him in the trunk of a car. He was transported to another wooded area where he was released. Shortly thereafter, several of those involved returned to the area, picked up the victim and took him home. The entire incident was also captured on video.

Nothing seemed funny at Westhill High in the light of day

The next morning, the victim's family reported the incident to Westhill officials, as video of events began to circulate among members of the student body. According to a report by CNN, a school resource officer then reported the incident to the Onondaga County Sherrif's office, leading to an investigation by the school district and the district attorney's office.

Talucci told Good Morning America that he left the team to focus on school and his personal life, but said he has known many of the 11 students facing charges, the large majority of which are members of the Westhill lacrosse team, since middle school and describes them as "good people that made bad decisions."

He went on to tell ABC, "I've known these boys for so long, this is not something I would have expected from any of them and anybody at Westhill for that matter. This whole story does not reflect every one of the athletes or students or anybody related to Westhill at all."

Westhill lacrosse coach Aaron Cahill, who is in his first year with the team, claimed to have had no prior knowledge of the hazing plans during a lengthy statement on the matter on social media. He echoed Tallucci by saying the incident does not reflect the culture of the program which he said is "built on inclusion, kindness, and accountability."

Canceling the Westhill lacrosse season offers a chance to 'reset' the culture

Shortly after news of the incident broke, Westhill School Superintendent Steve Dunham informed the school and its lacrosse families that he was cancelling the remainder of its season.

"Some may argue that all student-athletes should not be punished for the actions of a few. While I understand the perspective, we must address the culture of the program, and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset," Dunham said in an email announcing his decision.

Talucci termed this decision "unfair" and expressed concerned for those members of the team who were not involved.

"My worry about this whole thing is that it's going to change the stigma that's already been happening with lacrosse, that these boys are seen as degenerates and the whole community is just not good."

Talucci's mother, Rosemary, who was also part of the GMA interview, supported her son's position.

"The boys who did this are good kids," said Rosemary Talucci. "They do come from good families. They just made a huge mistake and I think a lot of schools can learn from that."