Emergency Crews Called to South Side School

By Ben Bradley
ABC 7 News, WLS-TV, Chicago
March 12, 2003

March 12, 2003 — Some children at Brownell School triggered a chemical reaction while trying to clean up their art projects. Nearly two dozen children were treated after the accident.

School officials say one student who was trying to be a "good helper" ended-up giving his classmates a "good scare." Ten ambulances, several fire trucks and some anxious parents all descended on the South Side elementary school.

Paramedics transported the 21 fourth graders to area hospitals.

"We kept on hearing people scream and stuff. The people were falling on the stairs running out of the classroom," said Catherine Jones.

A scare is what most of the students suffered from after school officials say one student, who was trying to clean-up after an art project, mistakenly sprayed spraypaint and a household cleaning agent inside the classroom.

"That resulted in a number of the children complaining of red eyes, discomfort, nausea and some had asthma and have difficulty breathing right now," said Patrick Howe, Chicago Fire Dept.

Seeing a flood of ambulances and fire trucks rushing to the school, several parents who live nearby rushed to the school to check on their children.

"With a lot of the things happening in the news, like the nightclub thing, you're just really concerned, especially when you have a child that goes to this school," said Kawanda Lee, parent.