Police say second grader brought heroin to school

Five second grade boys were taken to the hospital for observation today after one of them passed around several packages of heroin during gym class.

Philadelphia Police Lt. Frank Vanore said the male gym teacher at McDaniel School, at 1901 South 23rd St. in Southwest Philadelphia, became suspicious when he saw the students passing around the packages. One boy touched the substance with his finger, tasted it and spit it out. The other boys all touched it. None of them ingested it.

Police confirmed that the substance in the packages was heroin, Vanore said. He said police are continuing to investigate the source of the drug which was brought in by one of the five boys. All of them were in the same second grade gym glass.

The students were immediately taken to the school nurse, who confirmed the children were not sick.

But as a precaution school officials called 911 and four students were taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where they remain for observation, said Fernando Gallard, the district spokesman. The fifth student was taken to CHOP by his father. The other parents were directed to go to the hospital.

The school this afternoon distributed a letter from principal Darlynn Gray to the parents who came to pick up their children that there had been an incident at the school today involving second graders and a "substance" problem.