Two people were arrested after seven Virginia elementary school students "experienced a reaction" after eating gummy bears from a bag that was laced with fentanyl, the Amherst County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.
Central Elementary School in Amherst County called the county School Resource Officer on Tuesday after learning the students had eaten something during lunch and needed medical attention, the sheriff's office said.
It was later determined that all seven fourth-graders had eaten gummy bears that one student brought to school and shared at lunch, according to NBC News affiliate WSLS.
The student brought the candy in a plastic bag from home, according to WSLS.
Five were taken to the hospital, the sheriff's office said. Two were transported by EMS, and the other three were taken by their parents.
The school resource officer who responded found residue in the baggie, which was then tested and returned a positive result for fentanyl, officials said.
The bag is being sent to the DEA for further testing and confirmation, the sheriff’s office said.
Clifford Dugan, 50, and Nicole Sanders, 26, were arrested and are facing felony charges in the case, the sheriff said.
Both were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a child.
Dugan faces a second charge of the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Sanders faces a second charge of possession of a schedule I or schedule II drug.
The names and ages of the seven students who ate the gummy bears have not been released, and their current conditions are unknown.