FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities could be closer to finding out what caused more than two dozen students to get sick on Valentine's Day at Sandtown Middle School.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Fulton County Schools have submitted evidence from the incident. The school district's police department also released the incident report from that day which outlines what happened. School officials said they wanted to release the report for transparency.
"We are providing the initial police incident report, which states that some students exhibited behavior indicative of drug intoxication," the news release said. "This suspicion is part of the toxicology testing being conducted by the GBI."
Students told 11Alive that their classmates appeared to fall ill after eating store-bought lollipops and homemade rice crispy treats. However, officials said tests will have to be done to determine if Valentine's Day candy and snacks were the reason the children became sick.
According to the incident report, one student came to the office complaining of headache and upset stomach. The student told the nurse he or she ingested a heart-shaped lollipop and a rice crispy treat that another student gave them. The report claims the student appeared to be disoriented and hallucinating with watery red eyes. The student was also crying frantically off and on.
Several minutes later, more students started filling up the nurse's office with some of the same symptoms.
Twenty-eight students were hospitalized.
The district's police department retrieved some of the suspected lollipops and rice crispy treats for evidence.
Authorities interviewed the students and the incident report also outlines what some them ate that day in each class period along with their symptoms.
GBI said they received the evidence from the school Tuesday afternoon. Now investigators will try to determine what caused the illness.
Classes were out Friday, Monday and Tuesday for student holidays. Interviews are still being conducted through home visits and will continue when students return to school Wednesday.
Given the suspicions and the resulting conversation in the community about edibles – or food/candy containing drugs – the school system said it is preparing a campaign that educates students on the dangers of taking or eating foods that come from an unknown source.
School officials said all students have been released from the hospital. Extra counselors will be at the school Wednesday to support the students.