Tennessee high school on lockdown after several students sickened
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WTVC) -- Brainerd High School in Chattanooga went on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after several students experienced some type of illness.
Hamilton County Schools spokesman Tim Hensley says a total of five students were taken to the hospital after becoming sick after ingesting some kind of unidentified substance.
Hensley says "it's not environmental. We're not sure what we are dealing with."
Chattanooga Police Chief David Roddy says police were notified by school officials and school resource officers that several students had gotten sick.
EMS crews tended to the students at the school, and school officials then put a lockdown in place.
"At this time it doesn’t look like what you would typically experience as an overdose, whether any children had an adverse reaction to taking medication or some type of unknown substance, that’s what we’re working on right now," Roddy said.
That was despite the fact that Hamilton County Schools dismissed late Wednesday morning due to flash flooding. For a while, Brainerd High School students were originally not allowed to pick their kids up. That later changed, and the school is now empty.
School officials gave details in a news conference Wednesday afternoon:
Jill Levine said the school went on lockdown as a precaution, and so that an investigation could be carried out in an orderly manner.
Levine said the students did not suffer from life-threatening injuries.
This is a developing story. Depend on us to bring you updates as we get them.
