Candy no longer suspected of sickening kids

MASSILON — It likely wasn’t the candy that made 21 students at Perry High School ill at school this week, officials said Thursday.

But what exactly caused the teens to develop rapid heart rates and dilated pupils and some to have elevated bloodpressure readings after eating Sour Patch Kids candy remains unclear.

Police and school officials said the chewable candy confiscated from the students and sent to the Stark County Crime Lab for testing did not appear to have been tampered with, a preliminary investigation shows.

Six students were transported to area hospitals when they and other students had an adverse reaction after ingesting Sour Patch Kids that had been brought to the school.

According to a post on the Perry Police Department Facebook page, initial results indicate the candy was not tainted.

“We recovered the remaining unconsumed chewable candy,” the post said. “Arrangements were made with the Stark County Crime Lab to analyze the candy. ... Tentative results today reveal the unconsumed candies were not tampered with.”

“Officers and detectives have been interviewing the 21 individuals involved,” police Chief Mike Pomesky wrote. More information would be provided as it becomes available, he added.

School Superintendent Scott Beatty also released a statement Thursday saying he did not believe there was any additional reason for parents or community members to be concerned.

School officials declined to comment further.