Teenage boy, 13, dies after overdosing on fentanyl at Connecticut high school: Drug-sniffing dogs find 40 bags of the drug in two classrooms and the gym
A seventh grader has died after he overdosed on fentanyl at his Hartford, Connecticut school last week.
The 13-year-old boy, who has not been identified, was rushed to the hospital Thursday after he collapsed in gym class at Sports and Medical Sciences Academy. He died on Saturday, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said.
Two other students who were exposed to the drugs Thursday were also taken to the hospital the same day, but later released.
Following the incident on Thursday, students were placed under a 'code yellow,' which is a shelter in place order.
Drug sniffing dogs found at least 40 bags of fentanyl in two classrooms and in the gym, which the mayor said it's believed to have been brought to the school by a student. No arrests have been made.
Police responded to Sports and Medical Sciences Academy Thursday when three students were rushed to the hospital after being exposed to fentanyl. Drug sniffing dogs found additional bags of fentanyl in two classrooms and in the gym
In a statement released over the weekend, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said the city, 'grieves for this child lost, for his loved ones, his friends, his teachers'
Students and teachers 'had to walk through a solution of bleach and OxiClean which dissolves and neutralizes the fentanyl before they were allowed to leave the building,' police said.
In a statement released over the weekend, Bronin said that the city, 'grieves for this child lost, for his loved ones, his friends, his teachers' and the entire community at his school.
'We still have much to learn about the circumstances of this tragedy, and about how a child had access to such a shocking quantity of such deadly drugs, and our police (department) will continue their investigation and seek to hold accountable the adults who ultimately are responsible for this child's death,' Bronin added.
Students at Sports and Medical Sciences Academy were placed under a 'code yellow,' which is a shelter in place order
Students and teachers 'had to walk through a solution of bleach and OxiClean which dissolves and neutralizes the fentanyl before they were allowed to leave the building'
WFSB reported that in Connecticut, data shows drug overdose deaths have spiked. From January to November 2021, there were more than 1,200 people dead.
'I'm shocked about what's going on. I just don't understand how fentanyl reaches the schools so it's heartbreaking to know they were in contact with it,' one parent told WFSB.
The academy, which according to its website is a magnet middle and high school, 'with a focus on sport and medical sciences,' was closed Friday for a full cleaning of the campus, which was expected to take several days, Principal Alison Giuliano said in a letter to parents.
An update is expected to be released on Monday regarding when classes will resume. Support services are available to students by calling 211.
'This is one more lesson that fentanyl is a poison, these drugs are a poison,' Bronin said. 'Please, if you are a parent, have that tough conversation with your child tonight. If anyone offers, suggests, that they experiment with, ingest some substance that they think is a drug, they don't know what it is, don't do it, stay a mile away, and for God's sake, please report it so we can try to protect your child, their friends, everything.'
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