22 kids, 4 adults injured in pepper spray incident at Queens middle school
Nearly two dozen students and several adults were injured in a pepper spray incident at a Queens middle school Friday. Now, two students are facing charges.
A student discharged a can of pepper spray in the College Point Collaborative cafeteria just after 12:45 p.m., the FDNY says.
Affected students were rushed onto a fire department bus on 14th Avenue between 124th and 125th streets.
In addition to irritating the eyes and lungs, pepper spray can burn skin and cause a person to lose balance.
The Department of Education said some students were hospitalized and others are recovering at home.
Officials have not confirmed if there was a dispute among students or said how the pepper spray made it into the school. It remains to be seen what disciplinary action will be taken once the investigation is concluded.
Parents concerned about safety at College Point Collaborative
Concerned parents arriving for pick-up at regular dismissal say they were notified about the incident by email.
"It's my daughter inside. She's supposed to be safe," one parent said.
"I came here to pick my daughter up and I see all of this. So she was texting me, like, 'Mommy, something happened at school.' I'm like, 'What happened?'" another parent said.
Some parents said they didn't feel safe having their kids at school after the incident.