Seven Maryland students are in serious trouble after being accused of releasing
72,000 ladybugs within their high school as part of a senior prank:
"You turn around the corner and all you see is ladybugs on the lights and a bunch of lady bugs on the lights," described Jerod Gaines, a Junior at Chopticon High School.
"Walking in, seeing a bunch of lady bugs squished and lying around," said Nick Hughes.
It sounds like a movie scene but the students are describing a high school senior prank, where 72,000 ladybugs were let loose into Chopticon High School in St. Mary's County, Maryland.
Police said five of the students forced their way into the high school while another two waited in a car in the early hours of May 20, 2015. The ladybugs were apparently purchased online.
Students and school staff discovered the swarming senior prank later that morning.
"Everybody got a good laugh out of it, I don't really see what the big deal is about it," Kyle Fisher a student at the school said.
However, school officials did not find it as amusing. The seven students involved are facing charges and two of them were banned from walking at graduation according to other students at the school, who decided to protest early Tuesday.
"A lot of us thought it was unfair how they weren't allowed to walk after they worked so hard all of high school and just to have it taken away because of a harmless senior prank," said Fisher.
School officials don't see the prank as harmless. St. Mary's County Public Schools Director of Safety and Security, Mike Wyant told WUSA they expect senior pranks and measure the severity of the prank based on certain criteria, including whether there was any damage to property.
Four of the students -- being charged as minors -- have been charged with 4th Degree Burglary, Property Destruction Under $1,000, and Disruption of School Activities. The other three students -- charged as adults -- are still facing criminal charges.
