Two sisters arrested after pepper spray incident on school bus

A pair of teenage sisters were arrested and charged after an incident involving pepper spray on a Northeast Richland County school bus Tuesday morning, according to officials.

The sisters were on a school bus headed to school when a verbal altercation between two other teens, a brother and sister, started around 8:30 a.m. at Hardscrabble and Sloan Roads, according to a news release from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

One of the sisters is 15 years old and the other is 16 years old.

The 15-year-old reportedly pulled out a canister of pepper spray and sprayed it at the male teen. He had to exit the bus after he was sprayed, the release stated.

Around this time, the sisters assaulted the male victim’s sister.

The bus was headed to Westwood High School in Richland School District 2 when the incident occurred, according to Lt. Curtis Wilson.

After the incident, 21 students were taken to an area hospitals for observation as a precaution. There were no reports of injuries during the incident.

Sheriff Leon Lott called the situation “unfortunate” because the disturbance affected so many headed to school ready to learn.

The 16-year-old was charged with third degree assault and interfering with the operation of a school bus.

The 15-year-old was charged with third degree assault, interfering with the operation of a school bus and carrying a weapon on school property.

The sisters were released to the custody of their parents and are pending an appearance in family court.

Officials previously incorrectly reported the sisters are twins.

This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Two sisters arrested after pepper spray incident on school bus."