Multiple children consume suspected mushroom-laced edibles at East Orange YMCA summer camp, police say
The children who consumed the suspected edibles ranged in age from 10 to 13 and were evaluated at the scene by emergency medical personnel.
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Thirteen children became sick after ingesting candy suspected to contain hallucinogenic mushrooms at a YMCA summer camp in East Orange on Thursday, according to police.
One mother, who asked not to be identified, told News 12 that two of her 11-year-old sons were among the children affected.
"I actually received a phone call from my son. He was crying hysterically. I didn't know what was going on," she said. "Then the EMT got on the phone, and they pretty much told me that my son had eaten a piece of candy infused with mushrooms."
East Orange police say a child was observed handing out the candy suspected to contain mushrooms, which are known to cause hallucinations and confusion. They said 13 children in total were affected.
The mother said her sons told her the child who distributed the candy had received it from a family member as a birthday present.
"The question is more so, how did the child get a hold of this?" said Camesha, another parent with kids at the YMCA camp. "I'm pretty sure adults are around, so how did the child get this in their possession?"
Another parent, who spoke off camera, said her child also ingested the candy.
She shared photos she said showed wrappers from the product involved in the incident.
Parents are now calling for a thorough investigation into what happened and how the candy made its way into the camp.
"Maybe finding out who was supposed to be overseeing the kids and then the transparency of releasing whatever this investigation yields is something I would definitely be looking forward to," said YMCA parent Nicholas W.
The YMCA said in a statement that, "As a matter of policy, campers are prohibited from sharing food or snacks with one another. The safety of every child in our care is our highest priority."
Police said one child was transported to a hospital immediately following the incident.
However, several parents told News 12 that additional children were later taken for medical treatment.
East Orange police said they have identified a suspect, but no charges have been filed.
