Students and staff from Park City High School in Park City, Utah, were treated by medical professionals last week after one student allegedly pepper sprayed a lecture hall inside the school. The targeted room had been reserved for a Turning Point USA speaking event.
A pepper spray incident at Park City High School on Monday resulted in nearly twenty students and staff members receiving a visit from medical professionals, including one reportedly hospitalized, after being exposed to the chemicals released in a lecture hall reserved for a TPUSA event, according to a report by The Salt Lake Tribune.
One student, who according to the Tribune admitted to releasing the pepper spray, had released enough of the substance inside the school that the chemicals traveled down the hallway and into another classroom where students and staff reported feeling ill.
The school’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA) student group had planned to host an event, entitled, “How to Bridge the Divide with Will Witt from PragerU” later that same day in the Lecture Hall where the pepper spray had been released.
“The pepper spray was sprayed in the Lecture Hall fifteen minutes after school was dismissed,” said Park City School District communications director Melinda Colton to Breitbart News, adding that fourteen students who had been in a classroom down the hallway from the Lecture Hall were “evaluated” my medical professionals after being exposed to the chemicals.
One Park City High School TPUSA student member, Ryan Zink, told Breitbart News that the pepper spray from the Lecture Hall ended up making its way into a theater classroom where school’s drama club had been practicing after school.
“We’re still investigating the incident, so no motive yet,” said Park City Police Department captain Phil Kirk to Breitbart News, “The incident occurred in the Lecture Hall.”
While the motive has not yet been confirmed, several students told Breitbart News that they believe the pepper spray incident had been a politically motivated attack, stating that the suspect is a known “socialist” on campus who is very open about his political views.
The students added that they hope their school and city will deal with the suspect’s actions appropriately, as well as address the campus community about the importance of having a civil political dialogue, if it ends up being confirmed that the attack was politically motivated.
“We know that if we [conservatives] were suspected of doing something like this, we would especially be under fire for our actions,” said the school’s TPUSA chapter president Max Mobley to Breitbart News.
“But of course, a conservative student would never harm their friends over political differences,” continued Mobley, adding that while he understands there can be crazy people on any side, an act like this would never be perpetrated by a conservative student from Park City High School.
“Not at our school,” said Mobley of his TPUSA student members and like-minded classmates.
The TPUSA event with Will Witt was able to proceed at the Ecker Hill Middle School later that day, instead.
“The student, Max, who put on the event did a great job dealing with the last minute pressure,” said Will Witt to Breitbart News, “He took control and secured the [new] venue.”
“It’s unbelievable that students, even in high school, have been brainwashed by the left to the point they would do such a thing, putting people’s lives in danger,” added Witt, “It also goes to show how far the left will go to shut down opinions they don’t agree with.”
This is a developing story. Follow Breitbart News for more updates.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo and on Instagram.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.