Suffolk man charged in Southampton High incident

Published 10:22 pm Tuesday, June 11, 2019

A Suffolk man has been arrested in connection with a Tuesday incident at Southampton High School.

Jaden Phillips, 18, has been charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after authorities say multiple students at the school fell ill after eating gummy candy that was contaminated with an unknown substance.

Eight students, ranging in age from 14 to 16, were taken to Southampton Memorial Hospital during the school day. They were being treated in the emergency room for ingestion of an unknown substance, according to Brandon Seier, spokesman for the hospital.

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As of 3 p.m., all eight patients were listed as good, with vital signs stable and within normal limits, Seier said.

Phillips has been charged with possession with intent to distribute Schedule I/II narcotics, distribution to someone under 18 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to a press release from the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office. He was being held at the Southampton County Jail without bond.

Lt. Camden Cobb of the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office said Phillips allegedly distributed the gummy candy to a student at the high school, who apparently then gave it to others. The evidence will be analyzed by the Department of Forensic Science to determine exactly what substances it contains, Cobb stated.

Phillips is not a student at Southampton High, Cobb added.