Multiple Students Hospitalized After Eating Candy-Like Substance Given to Them by a Fellow Classmate at School

Multiple students at a North Carolina middle school were hospitalized after eating an unknown substance that looked like candy.

About 10 children became sick after eating the item, which was shared by a 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 students were taken to Carteret Health Care for evaluation and treatment, and all appeared to be okay after the incident.

Speaking with the Carteret County News-Times, 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 is ongoing. Authorities will later decide whether any charges could be filed under the law or the school’s Code of Conduct.

A spokesperson for the Carteret County Public School system, which includes Broad Creek Middle School, told the Carteret County News-Times that school officials were notified and responded immediately, caring 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 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.

One student, Charlotte Race, told WITN that the incident was unexpected on the “third day” of school.

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

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