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Man arrested after Southampton High School students eat candy with unknown substance, feel sick

According to Southampton High School, six of the students taken to the hospital for ingesting an unknown substance have been released.

COURTLAND, Va. — The Southampton County Sheriff’s Office said one person has been arrested after seven students from Southampton High School were taken to the hospital on Tuesday.

Jaden Phillips, 18, was arrested for the incident at Southampton High School. Phillips is charged with felony possession with intent to distribute, felony distribution to someone under 18 and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Six of the students have been released while one still remains in the hospital being treated.

The sheriff's office said the students ate some candy which caused them to feel sick.

All seven students who had to go to the hospital went to Southampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin. In all, though, a spokesman for the sheriff's office said fewer than 10 students were affected.

Students said the day was scary while parents panicked and showed up to the school making sure their student was okay.

Deputies said as student distributed the candy.

"I was just nervous wondering 'What happened?' and 'Who got it?' like if it was any of my friends" said sophomore Brittany Barrentine.

Barrentine said rumors started flying around the school. 

"We were locked in class for 3 hours," Barrentine told 13News Now.

"I wanted to go get her. We taught her you don't take candy from anybody. [The student] bought it offline, and look what happened," Barrentine's sister said.

"There was a lot of crying going on," said one student. "[A student] ordered gummies to get a high, and it was laced with something else. She was handing it out and people got hurt. She obviously didn't know what she was doing just having a good time."

Kirk Cumpston, Director of the Virginia Poison Center, said he doesn’t necessarily believe the candy was laced, he just thinks the students underestimated the potency.

“You have to be much more cautious and careful and concerned when eating something that you don’t know what the ingredients are,” said Cumpston.

The Virginia Poison Center was called directly in the case of one young woman.

“She definitely had symptoms where she was sleepy, but nothing more major than that,” said Cumpston.

The student who handed them out was questioned by deputies. Phillips is not that student. He is not a student at Southampton High School.

Phillips is being held at the Southampton County Jail without bond.

Southampton Memorial Hospital said they received 8 patients from the high school, seven taken directly from the school and one was taken after they already left school for the day. The students' ages range from 14 to 16. 

As of 3 p.m., the hospital said the 8 patients were in "good" condition.

Medics from the City of Franklin and members of the Courtland Volunteer Fire Department were among crews there to help Southampton County.

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