Colo. middle school student allegedly gave out poisoned gum

(CBS/KCNC) LASALLE, Colo. - Never take candy from strangers - or, in this case, from your middle school classmate.

An eighth grader was arrested Thursday after police say he gave poisoned chewing gum to his classmates at North Valley Middle School in LaSalle,  CBS affiliate KCNC reported.

Police said the student took sticks of gum out of the wrapper and then soaked them in bleach and other cleaning chemicals. Then, he allegedly wrapped the gum back in the wrapper and handed it out.

School administrators heard about the chewing gum incident as well as alleged threats he made against other students, so they banned him from coming to school on Tuesday. The administration feared the boy had access to weapons, so the district closed school in LaSalle for an hour before police arrested the boy, according to KCNC.

The teenager, who could face criminal charges, is 14 years old. He was in custody at the Platte Valley Youth Detention Center in Greely.

The LaSalle police chief said just one student chewed the gum and he was checked at a hospital a day later and was not harmed.

According to the chief, both the gum poisoning suspect and the boy he made threats to are in the same group of friends.

Police are still trying to determine how dangerous the poisoned gum could have been.