3 kids hurt in pepper spray incident at Cambridge school

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Three students from Cambridgeport School were taken to the hospital on Thursday morning after they mistook a bottle of pepper spray for a bottle of cologne.

“I think it was mainly the sort of closing-up sensation of the throat, the itchiness or the burning in the eyes,” said Cambridge School Superintendent Jeff Young. “I would imagine it was very scary for them.”

Cambridge Police responded to the scene after four students who are 8 or 9 years old found a can of pepper spray on the playground while heading into school.

One of the kids sprayed the three others, two girls and a boy, in the face.

“It’s certainly nothing to do with the school curriculum, I can tell you that. I’m assuming that somebody last night or the day before was in the community or in the neighborhood, dropped a can of it there. The kids did not bring it to school with them. They found it on the playground as they were walking into the building,” said Young.

The superintendent said that while it was just an accident, it could also be a teachable moment.

“Tell your children that if you see something and you don’t know what it is, don’t mess with it, and moreover, never put anything near anybody’s eyes or face,” said Young.

The third and fourth graders were treated and released from the hospital to their parents later in the day.

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