Several Naperville North High School students were hospitalized after having gummy bear candy. A teenage student is reportedly being questioned over the incident. However, as of Tuesday evening, no charges have been filed. Police are presently investigating how the candy got distributed.
According to police, the candies might have been tainted. Cmdr. Jason Arres said some of the candies had been confiscated. Those will be sent for testing, he said. It is believed that the gummy bears might contain a substance similar to marijuana-oil. But, Arres said there was no confirmation about it.
According to Naperville Fire Division Chief Andy Dina, 14 students have been hospitalized. Naperville District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said the Naperville North High School students had felt sick. Soon, police and fire departments rushed to the school to take control of the situation. According to school authorities, 12 out of the 14 students who were hospitalized had consumed gummy bear candy.
"This candy made those students both uncomfortable and sick, so they were taken to the nurse's office for care," Chicago Tribune quoted Bridges as saying. "For safety precautions, they were transported to Edward to receive medical attention. Each student had varying degrees of discomfort and subsequent treatment was needed."
Bridges also said that the health and safety of the students would be the primary concern for the district. Edward Hospital spokesman Keith Hartenberger confirmed that the students had been hospitalized. They reportedly had symptoms like dizziness, dry mouth and fast heart rates. Some of the students had a combination of these symptoms, he said.
According to Bridges, school authorities are going to work together with the district and the Naperville Police Department during the investigation. Arres, on the other hand, said that the police would determine if the case should be handled by the school district or the juvenile court.
"Each student had varying degrees of discomfort and subsequent treatment," CBS News quoted Naperville North High School as saying. "We continue to review the specifics of the situation and will address it appropriately."
