The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident involving pepper spray that happened at McLane Middle School around 2:45 pm.
After questioning one student, investigators said a 12-year-old female was charged with misdemeanor disruption of school function.
She was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center where she will be released to a parent.
All individuals that were taken to the hospital were treated and released.
It was a scary scene that played out at the school Friday afternoon.
"We just all running and screaming,” said one sixth-grader whose parents asked not to reveal her name. “Teachers are running. A teacher threw up and it's just chaos."
Chaos, the 13-year-old girl said, when the incident happened at 2:45 p.m. as children were in between periods.
"In one of the hallways, a crowded hallway, one of the students sprayed some pepper spray and you can imagine in a crowded hallway like that we had a lot of students and some staff that were affected," said Steve Hegarty of Hillsborough County Schools.
93 students and 3 teachers were affected by that pepper spray, officials said.
"My eyes are burning,” said the student. “My nose is burning. It's like we was just running."
That is when the school nurse jumped into action while Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue crews raced to the scene and set up a triage area in the cafeteria.
"We train in triage so basically in the lunchroom we said if anybody is having trouble breathing, move to this area or raise your hand so we can come to you,” said Jessica Damico of Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue. “We get the people who have nothing wrong with them at all to move to one area."
"So we're all in there,” said the student. “They have paramedics asking questions, getting our names down, trying to call parents. They were asking are you OK, is there something wrong, do you need anything? They were trying to help out."
In the end, 37 students were taken to the hospital.
When parents first heard the news, they said they were terrified.
"At that moment, I kind of panicked because I didn't know what was going on," said parent James Robertson.
"I was really scared and I was nervous because I didn't know what was going on," said his wife, Linda.
The school district called parents to let them know what was going on.
"Once I found out she was OK, I was very, very relieved,’ said Robertson. “So I wanted to make sure all the other kids were fine, as well."
"I was really scared and I'm relieved now that she is OK and the other kids are OK," echoed Linda Robertson.
School will resume on Monday.