A 13-year-old student died Saturday after suffering from a fentanyl overdose at a school in Hartford, Connecticut.
Hartford police responded to a report from the Sport and Medical Sciences Academy Thursday when the boy collapsed in the gymnasium, two other students were reportedly exposed to the fentanyl as well, WTNH reported. (RELATED: Seven Inmates Reportedly Overdose In Same Jail Cell Within Hours)
#BREAKING: A 13-year-old student at The Sport and Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford who was in grave condition because of an overdose has now died, police said. https://t.co/7fbtoEp4iq
— NBC Connecticut (@NBCConnecticut) January 16, 2022
“Initial reports indicate that CPR was initiated by the school nurse on one student and HFD personnel took over performing CPR until relieved by responding medics,” said Mario Oquendo Jr., public information officer for the Hartford Fire Department, according to WFSB. “Rhythm returned for that student and CPR was stopped.”
The two other students who were exposed reportedly complained of feeling dizzy and all three students were rushed to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center to be treated. The boy eventually succumbed to the overdose while the other two were released from the hospital, according to WTNH.
A teacher was reportedly taken to Hartford Hospital, but later claimed that she was upset about what had happened and was taken back to the school to be treated, according to WFSB.
The school issued a lockdown while detection dogs were deployed to sniff out any traces of fentanyl or additional substances. During the search, 40 small bags of what was identified as fentanyl in powder form were found in 2two classrooms and the gymnasium, WTNH reported.
Before they were permitted to leave for the day, students, faculty, and staff had to walk through a bleach and OxiClean solution for decontamination, according to WTNH.
The school has been closed since Friday while the building is being cleaned. Samples were taken and sent to a lab in New Jersey for further analysis. It has not yet been determined if the school will reopen Tuesday, according to NBC Connecticut.
“Fentanyl is a poison, these drugs are a poison, and please if you’re a parent, have that tough conversation with your child tonight, that if anybody offers or suggests that they experiment with or ingest some substance they think is a drug or they don’t know what it is, don’t do it, stay a mile away and for God’s sake please report it so that we can try to protect your child, their friends and every kid,” Mayor Luke Bronin said, according to WTNH.
Police suspect that a student may be responsible for bringing the fentanyl into the school. The investigation is still ongoing, according to the outlet.