Skip To...
A lunch period at Lake Worth High School in Lake Worth, Florida, erupted into panic when pepper spray was unleashed during a fight, forcing dozens of coughing and gasping students to flee. Within minutes, the cafeteria turned into a triage scene, with paramedics rushing to help as some students collapsed, struggling to breathe.
Pepper Spray Turns Lunch Into Emergency
Officials say multiple fights broke out shortly after 12:30 p.m. Thursday, prompting a school resource officer to use pepper spray in an attempt to regain control. Instead, the chemical cloud spread across the cafeteria, searing the eyes and throats of everyone nearby.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reported that 32 students and faculty members were transported to local hospitals, while another dozen were treated on campus. Some students with asthma reportedly suffered severe reactions.
Seventeen-year-old Gabe Sandoval recalled the terrifying moment:
“We were on the floor coughing, like throwing up from pepper spray. Everyone was choking and trying to get out.”
Videos recorded by students show crowds sprinting from the cafeteria, clutching their faces and screaming for help. Parents arrived soon after, demanding answers.
Tony Grant, whose daughter was caught in the cloud despite not being involved in the fight, was furious: “Our kids can’t even enjoy school. Using that spray was overboard, totally overboard.”
School officials say the situation is now under investigation and that disciplinary consequences are coming for those who started the brawl.
Viral Outrage
As clips spread online, the incident quickly became national news. Comments poured in on TikTok and X mocking the school’s handling of the fight, while others sympathized with students who were innocent bystanders. Some compared the scene to a “gas attack drill gone wrong,” while others expressed disbelief that a cafeteria could become a danger zone in seconds.
Palm Beach County Schools reassured parents that the building is safe and classes will continue, though many families say they’re shaken.
