Pepper spray forces evacuation of Red Deer high school on first day of classes
Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School was cleared after a dog deterrent spray was discharged in a bathroom, affecting air quality building-wide.
Students and staff at Red Deer's Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School were evacuated around 2:15 p.m. on the first day of classes after a pet deterrent spray was set off in a school bathroom, according to an email sent to parents by the principal.
Red Deer Emergency Services confirmed the substance was a pepper, or capsicum-based, dog spray. It was discharged on the main floor near the cafeteria and later found discarded in a recycling bin. Officials said the spray affected air quality throughout the building.
Emergency crews reported no injuries, though some people were coughing, which they said is a normal reaction to inhaling the irritant. No one required treatment or was taken to hospital. It remains unclear whether the spray was brought into the school or was already present.
Students were allowed back into the building grade by grade shortly after the evacuation to collect their belongings before going home. All tryouts and practices scheduled for the day were cancelled, and classes are set to resume the following day.
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