PALATKA, Fla. — Parents in Palatka told Action News Jax about their children getting sick inside a Walmart in the city. Two families said their children suddenly started screaming in pain as soon as they entered the store.
The most worrying thing for parents is that they often have no idea why it’s happening.
“I was so scared. I thought my child was going to die,” said Lacey Goss, who rushed her daughter to the emergency room after her daughter started to develop red spots and pain inside a Walmart store. said. Goss said it happened on Saturday, Oct. 14.
Goss said it started right after she took her daughter through the toy aisle at the store. According to medical records provided to Action News Jax, Goss’ daughter developed a rash and hives after touching a toy in the aisle and then touching her face.
“She started getting spots on her face,” Goss said. “It started in one place and then spread throughout.”
read: Missing, unidentified in Jacksonville area: Have you seen it?
Goss shared multiple photos of her daughter’s condition shortly after leaving the store. Tears are streaming down her face and you can see that her bright red rash is swollen. Emergency room notes list the event as an allergic reaction.
“She’s not allergic to anything. [my husband and I] I know,” Goss said. “This was the first time she was in a situation where we didn’t know what it was.”
But the goth girl is so much more than that. Just last Friday, Kylie Lyles, who took her daughter to Walmart to pick out toys after a school trip in Palatka, said she had a nearly identical experience after her daughter touched the stuffed animal. he said.
read: Columbia County woman attacks boyfriend with machete, police say weapon still missing
“We were in one aisle and all of a sudden I turned around and she was hysterical, grabbing her face and almost screaming,” Lyles said.
Liles also shared a photo of her daughter with Action News Jax right after she ran out of the store. Her face was also covered in red spots, and Lyles said she had no idea what was going on or how she could help.
“Honestly, I don’t want to take my kids to another store,” Lyles said. “It’s really scary.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Based on the children’s reactions, Lyles and Goss both believe someone pepper sprayed the toys in the aisle.dozens of parents answered their stories onlinesays the same thing happened to at least one other family.
“These kids are babies, they’re not teenagers, they’re not adults. That’s not okay,” Goss said.
Action News Jax reached out to the Palatka Police Department to ask if officers were aware of these incidents or what led to them. The ministry says no report has been submitted at this time.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
We also reached out to Walmart, which provided the following statement to Action News Jax:
“The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we have engaged a third party to professionally clean the area.”
The company did not discuss possible causes for what happened to these children. Palatka Police urge you to call the police department immediately if something similar happens to you or your children.
photograph: Parents furious after children fall ill inside Palatka Walmart
click here To download the free Action News Jax news and weather app, click here Download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here Stream Action News Jax live.