Pepper spray blast affects dozens at Douglas Co. High School

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — School officials say four students are facing disciplinary action for a prank that evacuated a high school.
               
Firefighters cleared a building at Douglas High School nearly an hour after someone used pepper spray in a hallway. 
 
Security cameras inside the school caught the students spraying pepper spray or mace inside a downstairs hallway. The prank forced the evacuation of about 250 students, some of whom said they couldn't breathe or see when it hit them.
 
"We were coming down the stairwell, we got to the water fountains and it just hit us like a brick wall," said student Lisa George. "We started stumbling around, we couldn't see. I was choking, my friend was choking. One of my friends who was already outside pulled me out the door."
 
Administrators told Channel 2's Ashley Swann that teachers evacuated about 250 students, some of whom had to be checked out by responding emergency crews.
 
"We had a few that had asthma and some issues, so they wanted to talk to an EMT," said Principal Dr. Tim Scott.
 
Firefighters and police cleared and aired out the affected area. Within 45 minutes, Scott said students were back in their classrooms, much to the relief of everyone involved.
 
"I'd a whole lot rather be safe than sorry when I'm dealing with our young people because safety comes first," Scott said.

WSBTV