DAMASCUS, Md. -- Four teenagers have been indicted by the grand jury in the Damascus High School rape that happened on Halloween.
Officials said the four 15-year-olds were indicted late Thursday afternoon. They were indicted on eight counts each: One count of first degree rape, three counts of attempted first degree rape and four counts of conspiracy to commit rape.
WUSA9 has chosen not to identify the students.
Due to indictment the preliminary hearing scheduled for Friday morning will not happen, officials said.
Police said the sexual assaults happened after school dismissed Oct. 31 inside the boy's locker room and involved suspects and victims who are all Damascus High School students.
The incident was connected to hazing with players on the junior varsity football team, according to Damascus High School superintendent. The team forfeited its game the day after.
Prosecutors said the suspects may have targeted at least one of their victims for bullying for the entire school year. Then on the last day of football practice, the sophomores allegedly invaded the freshman locker room, turned out the lights, tackled one young man after the other and either raped or attempted to rape each of them in the rectum with a broomstick.
Court records list the students all as African American. The prosecutor, John McCarthy said he's aware of concerns that they might have been singled out for harsher treatment because of their race.
He said the victims are of multiple different races.
