Several St. Charles Parish students, some juveniles and some adults, are facing charges after what sheriff's deputies describe as a "rivalry prank" that went out of control.
In fact, sheriff's deputies say those events, which happened late Monday night and involved several students from Destrehan and Hahnville high schools, devolved from a prank to a crime.
According to a post on the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office Facebook page, the pranks involved a "paintball battle" that led to at least one home and one car being hit and damaged. The paintball battle ended when one of the students flipped a car into a ditch. That student went to the hospital with minor head and neck injuries.
In a statement, St. Charles Parish School System superintendent Ken Oertling said it's aware of the arrests.
"The school system does not condone this behavior or any actions which may result in injury or physical damage," the statement reads. "The school system has and will continue to communicate with families regarding expected behaviors in connection with school-sanctioned events. We ask families to remind their children of St. Charles Parish’s standard curfew laws and to discuss the potential consequences of not following the law and/or causing physical or personal damage as a result of their actions."
The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office Facebook post called on parents to parent their children to prevent events like this from happening.
"We want to keep the juveniles of St. Charles Parish safe, but need your help to do this!" the post reads. "We cannot overlook pranks when they go wrong and cause damage to someone’s property. These are no longer pranks and are considered a crime."
Sheriff's office officials also urge parents to remind their children of the parish's juvenile curfew and to ensure their children are abiding by it.
