Multiple Students Hospitalized After Eating Candy-Like Substance at School

Multiple students at a North Carolina middle school were hospitalized after they ate an unknown substance resembling candy.

Around 10 children fell ill when they ate the food item, shared by a fellow classmate, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, Broad Creek Middle School officials said, according to local outlets WITN, WCTI and the Carteret County News-Times.

The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) told the outlets that eight of the students were transported to Carteret Health Care for evaluation and treatment, and all appeared to be okay after the incident.

Speaking with the Carteret County News-Times, the CCSO’s Derek Moore said authorities “are waiting [for] test results to determine the presence of any substance which may have caused the adverse reactions affecting the involved students.”

He added that the police investigation into the incident was ongoing, and authorities will later determine whether any charges could be brought forward under the law, as well as under the school’s Code of Conduct.

A spokesperson for the Carteret County Public School system — which Broad Creek Middle School is a part — told the Carteret County News-Times that school officials were notified of the incident and responded immediately, providing care for the students until paramedics arrived.

The CCSO and the Carteret County Public School system did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Broad Creek Middle School principal Jenny Bell told the local outlets that the “safety and health of our students remain our highest priority.”

“We deeply appreciate the quick actions of our staff and the tremendous support of the emergency response teams who worked together to care for our students,” she added.

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One student, Charlotte Race, told WITN that the incident wasn’t something she “expected” on the “third day” of school.

“I mean, it was kind of scary,” she added. “I feel like it wouldn’t be something that you would have thought would happen.”

Jennifer Perryman, a spokesperson for the Carteret County Public School, told the Carteret County News-Times that parents should remind their children about “the importance of only consuming food from known and trusted sources,” such as from home or a school cafeteria. 

“While students often like to share, it is not always clear what an item contains, and consuming something unknown can result in serious health risks,” she added.