13 children hospitalized after mistakenly eating edibles at New Jersey YMCA summer camp

13 children became ill after mistakenly consuming mushroom-laced edibles they believed were candy at a YMCA summer camp in New Jersey.

According to YMCA spokesman Richard K. Gorab, one camper shared the edibles with other children, who were between the ages of 10 and 13, without the “knowledge or consent” of the organization. After staff noticed several campers having an “adverse reaction,” employees at the East Orange YMCA summer camp contacted emergency medical services, police, and the parents of the affected children.

“The safety of every child in our care is our highest priority,” Gorab said, according to The New York Times. He added that YMCA policy prohibits children from sharing food at camp with one another.

The edibles were reportedly chocolate and laced with mushrooms. One parent, Destany Yasmina, said that her 11-year-old son had consumed edibles and had a series of medical conditions that include cerebral palsy, epilepsy and anxiety. She arrived at the YMCA to find her son in a near “psychosis,” saying “I don’t wanna die,” repeatedly. 

East Orange police chief Phyllis L. Bindi said in a statement that the incident was “deeply concerning, particularly because it involves the safety and well-being of children.”

"The East Orange Police Department takes incidents involving suspected controlled substances extremely seriously,” Bindi said. “Our detectives are conducting a thorough investigation to determine exactly what occurred, how these suspected edibles came into the possession of a juvenile, and whether any criminal offenses were committed. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the safety of our youth and to hold anyone responsible accountable under the law."