People killed in Gadsden 'mass fentanyl poisoning' had cocaine in their systems, records say

Christopher Cann, Tallahassee Democrat
·3 min read

The six people who died of an overdose during Fourth of July weekend in Gadsden County, in what officials labeled a "mass fentanyl poisoning event," all had cocaine in their systems, records say.

The District 2 Medical Examiner's Office records obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat through a public records request show "cocaine abuse" or "cocaine toxicity" as contributing causes of death for each person in addition to fentanyl toxicity.

Other causes of death include cardiac arrest as well as medical conditions like COPD or diabetes, according to records.

The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) initially reported there were 19 overdoses during the Fourth of July weekend, six confirmed fentanyl-related deaths and three unconfirmed deaths.

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The three unconfirmed deaths were ruled unrelated to fentanyl by the medical examiner.

On July 1, four people, ages 43-60, fatally overdosed in Gadsden County. Two days later, a 56-year-old man died of an overdose. On July 5, a 62-year-old man was killed.

It remains unclear if the deaths were the result of unintentional contamination or intentional co-use.

Daniel Ciccarone, a heroin expert and a professor at the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, said the co-use of fentanyl and cocaine is "extremely common."

A main reason is that fentanyl is increasingly sold as heroin, a main ingredient in a speedball, which is a mix of cocaine and heroin that's considered "the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of drug combinations," Ciccarone said.

But as fentanyl increases in circulation, the possibility of contamination has risen, too. Ciccarone said he has witnessed the threat of contamination at the dealer level.

"I see this out in the field ... I see people with their palms out and one second it has a chunk of fentanyl and the next second it has a little baggie of cocaine," Ciccarone said. "Well, that's cross-contamination right there."

There has been no update in the investigation regarding the 19 overdoses since it was started in July by GCSO with the assistance of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"You’d want to check with GCSO for any updates on the case," wrote FDLE spokesperson Jeremy Burns in a statement Wednesday.

GCSO has not provided any update or statement in the case despite multiple requests.

Continuing coverage:

In the days following the mass overdose event, local officials and clergy members held conferences to vocalize their concern with colliding plights ravaging the county: fatal drug use and gun violence.

Since then, the sheriff's office continues to publish fentanyl-awareness posts on social media to urge people to be vigilant and report any potential activity linked to the deadly drug.

The high-profile incident also caught the attention of state officials, leading First Lady Casey DeSantis to blast President Joe Biden's administration for not doing more to keep fentanyl out of the country.

Soon after, Attorney General Ashley Moody sent a letter to Biden urging him to classify illicit fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction."

Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Records: Cocaine present in Gadsden fentanyl-related overdoses in July