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Middle School Student In Custody After Allegedly Handing Out Poisoned Chewing Gum

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LASALLE, Colo. (CBS4)- An eighth grader is in custody Thursday after police say he gave poisoned chewing gum to his classmates.

It allegedly happened at North Valley Middle School in LaSalle. Police said the student took stick gum out of the wrapper and then soaked it in bleach and other cleaning chemicals. Then, he allegedly wrapped the gum back in its wrapper so it looked normal and handed it out to other students.

Administrators heard about the chewing gum incident and threats against another student and told the boy not to come to school on Tuesday. They were worried that he might have access to weapons, so the district locked down the schools in LaSalle for an hour before police arrested the boy.

“We just got a note sent home with the kids saying that there had been a lockout,” said LaSalle resident Randi Binder.

The teenager facing likely criminal charges is 14 years old. He’s in custody at the Platte Valley Youth Detention Center in Greeley.

The LaSalle police chief said just one student chewed the gum and was checked at a hospital a day later. That student was not harmed.

The chief said both the gum poisoning suspect and the boy he made threats to, are part of the same group of friends that hang out together.

“I think it has a lot to do with not teaching our children to respect other children, other children’s property, other children’s thoughts,” said LaSalle resident Angie Estala.

Police are still trying to determine how dangerous the poisoned gum could have been.

View Comments
  • Lynne B

    Poisonous? Not very. But who the heck are this kid’s parents that he got that kind of “this is an okay thing to do if you’re made/don’t like somebody” message? Sheesh!

  • Ann O.

    I wonder why people always blame the parents? Sometimes kids make stupid decisions regardless of how they are brought up.

    • Cassandra

      What has this world come too. I mean who in there right mind will allow there child to try and poison his class mates. parents need to step up too the plate before another columbine incident happens. or before some one gets killed.

      • Cassandra

        The proper word is THEIR, not THERE

  • Todd

    Ann O. people always blame the parents, because when you become a parent you are responsible for your children until they are 18. Fact: spend more time with you kids, the less time they will spend getting into trouble. Are there exceptions? Of course. Look around, notice how many parents are more involved with they’re blackberry than there kids, same parents text/talk and drive with kids in car, even though every statistic shows it is dangerous. Selfish people who should not be parents, putting themselves and blackberry above their children. Check out Wash Park, where blackberries go to let their mommies out. Same people will wonder why their kids hate them, probably from early childhood blackberry neglect which can lead to…..?

  • Jane

    Todd – you are obviously not a parent of a teenager!

  • jake

    Todd you need to settle down, have you ever heard of a chemical imbalance/depression. Kids do stupid things. I think if you bought a blackberry you would feel better.

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