Oct. 07--Fire Department ambulances took 10 children to local hospitals Wednesday afternoon after pepper spray was released in the hallway of a school in the Austin neighborhood, according to fire officials.
The students, all about 12 years old, were sprayed at DePriest Elementary School, 139 S. Parkside Ave., according to the Fire Department's media office. A student discharged a small pepper spray canister about 1:50 p.m. in a hallway at the school, and school officials had students leave the school and called emergency crews to the scene, according to Chicago Public Schools.
The 10 students were taken to nearby Loretto and West Suburban hospitals, all of them initially in good-to-fair condition, according to the Fire Department. All the students were in good condition after their treatment, according to CPS.
"All students are in good condition, and classes were resumed following clearance from the Fire Department," a CPS spokesman said in an emaile statement. "CPS will review our safety protocols to determine how to prevent similar incidents in the future."
Students were allowed to re-enter the building about 2:40 p.m., according to CPS.
