Greenacres Tradewinds Middle School lockdown caused by 'a prank,' according to school officials

GREENACRES, Fla. — A middle school in Greenacres was placed on lockdown Thursday after an 'unknown chemical' was discovered.

According to officials at the Palm Beach County School District, two Tradewinds Middle School students dropped a plastic bottle with an unidentified chemical in the boys restroom in the gymnasium.

The school was placed on 'code yellow,' meaning the students had limited movement within the school. Children were taken out of the building and onto a field behind the school just before 9 a.m.

Palm Beach County School District spokesperson Nat Harrington said the incident was a prank involving four students and some chemical in the boy's bathroom near the gym. 

"Apparently there were four students totally involved. Two students allegedly gave the substance to two other students on a bus and gave them sort of instructions," said Harrington. "There was some discussion about how to handle it, the other two students who received this bottle then went into the bathroom dropped it and ran."

Thursday afternoon two of the four students were charged by school police with making, possessing and discharging a destructive device. It's a second degree felony.

According to the school district, the boys were transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center and will be expelled.