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As the academic school year approaches an end, the same three things are on every high schooler’s mind: Prom, summer, and most importantly, how to stick it to their alma mater with a monumental senior prank. Pranks are the grandest display of school spirit and embody the senior class’ legacy – a lot’s at stake. Not everyone is blessed with creative powers, however, and every year some high school takes their energy in the wrong direction. In honor of the impending senior prank season, here’s a look back on five times the pranksters ended up pranking themselves.
If you’re thinking of pranking your school, don’t look to these guys for inspiration.
5. Sound The Alarms
Date: May 27, 2015
Location: Iredell County, N.C.
Perpetrators: Shannon Farrell and Lakia Hall
Prank: Two students faced felony charges after placing several alarm clocks in empty lockers and waiting for the alarm to startle their school. The original plan was for the clocks to go off every couple of minutes and make the administration search for them, according to Hall. Obviously, the ticking noises that accompany the clocks were not accounted for, and the administration registered the sound as a bomb threat.
Authorities were not humored, as both students were charged with creating a “bomb hoax.” The prank’s comedic value went unnoticed.
Punishment: Two students arrested.
Source: Iredell County
4. Creative “juices”
Date: May 1, 2014
Location: Teaneck High School, Teaneck, New Jersey
Perpetrators: over 60 students
Prank: Over 60 students broke into their high school to douse its hallways in urine, lubricate doorknobs, and flip desks early on a Thursday morning. Pranked! Looks like the senior prank planning committee was really down to the wire with this one. Teaneck police Sgt. John Garland commented on the predicament, “I’ve been a police officer 19 years, and this is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”
When police arrived on the scene around 2:30am, many students were still in the school. Additionally, the student’s nefarious activities were captured clearly on security cameras.
Punishment: Multiple Arrests. Burglary, criminal mischief charges.
Source: Teaneck High School
3. Motorcross
Date: June 2, 2016
Location: GlenOak High School, Canton, OH
Perpetrators: Nicholas M. Lexington, 18, Larry A. Skropits, 18, Eloy A. Lopes, 18,
Prank: The four masterminds behind this prank all conspired together to ride a dirt bike through their school’s hallways for their final hoorah. Miraculously, no one was hurt or killed. The police department had the last laugh.
Punishment: All four students were arrested and charged with inducing panic, operating a motor vehicle without a license, and in the case of Eloy Lopes, who wasn’t a student, trespassing.
Source: GlenOak High School
2. Poster Rampage
Date: June 2, 2017
Location: Desert Oasis High School, Clark County, Nevada
Perpetrators: 40 students.
Prank: Several dozen masked students stormed the doors of their high school after dark and proceeded to tear down posters, lubricate the stairs and doorknobs with baby oil, and then attempted to flee the scene.
Punishment: 8 students arrested facing jail, fines, suspension, and are unable to walk at graduation.
Source: Desert Oasis High School
1. Indoor Water park
Date: May 6, 2011
Location: Troy Buchanan High School, Missouri
Perpetrators: Kyle S. Hussey, 18, Robin M. Wilson, 18, Joshua T. Wilcockson, 17
Prank: Three high school students built a 12-foot long swimming pool inside the school’s commons. Airtight as it sounds, this plan fell through after the students left the water running, causing the pool to overthrow and cause 15,000 dollars in damages. Each student was charged with one account of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. Such crimes carry punishments of up to 7 years in prison and a 5,000 dollar fine with them.
Sometime in between 1:30am and 4:30am, the students gained access to the school through a door they had left open the previous day. Once they were inside, the team of vandals sprayed cooking oil around the pool to prevent easy access. Inevitably, much of the tile and surrounding infrastructure was damaged. When asked for comment, Principal Stephen Hunter responded with a firm statement addressing the issue, “When we have criminal behavior in our building, we react to that.”
Punishment: All three students were arrested with unreleased verdicts.