Three men and a woman died in Harrisburg on Saturday, including 18 people who overdosed on drugs believed to have contained fentanyl, police said.
The other overdose victims were still alive as of Saturday night. Police Lt. Terry Wieland said the victims were in their early 40s to early 60s and all lived within a mile of each other on North Second Street downtown.
Wieland and Mayor Wanda Williams held a press conference Saturday night to update residents on the ongoing investigation following a series of overdoses and shootings in the neighborhood.
Police say they are searching for Sean Jason, 47, of the 1800 block of North Street, in connection with an afternoon shooting that injured three neighbors, including a 4-year-old girl. did.
Jason slipped away and was last seen walking east on Primrose Street behind his home before police cordoned off the area in a tactical operation.
Wieland said he is wanted on charges including attempted murder and robbery.
Welland said the shooting stemmed from an argument between the suspect and a neighbor. Jason is then charged with kicking in his neighbor’s door and shooting the woman and child. A man, woman and child were injured in the shooting. The victim is expected to survive.
Police did not say whether Jason fled with the rifle he used in the shooting, leaving shell casings scattered on the street. Officers staked out his home for five hours on Saturday, but later entered his home to find it empty.
Neighbors said the altercation began after someone tried to secure a parking space along the road by placing a garbage can.
Police also provided new details about a series of overdoses that led police to issue a warning on Saturday morning.
“Harrisburg, we are in crisis,” Williams said at the beginning of the press conference. “Lethal doses of drugs were flooded into us.”
She implored anyone considering drug use to be extremely careful, knowing that drugs containing the powerful fentanyl may still be circulating in the city.
“We don’t want to put any more risk or death to the residents of Harrisburg,” she said.
At 12:23 a.m. Saturday, police were called to an apartment in the 1600 block of North Second Street for the first fatal overdose after three adults were found overdosing.
One man died and two women survived the overdose. Wieland said the women are expected to survive.
At 9 a.m., police were called to Harmony Tower Apartments, a retirement community in the 300 block of North 2nd Street, for a welfare check. When police arrived, they found a woman and two men dead from suspected overdoses, Wieland said.
The deceased victims lived within a mile of each other. More than a dozen other overdoses occurred across the city in the 12 hours after Friday night, officials said.
Early Saturday, county officials announced that they tested evidence at the scene of the overdose and determined that crack cocaine and synthetic drugs contained fentanyl, which the user probably wasn’t expecting.
Police have not said how many dealers are involved in selling drugs, including fentanyl, or what developments have been made as the investigation is ongoing.
County officials distributed Narcan, the opioid overdose reversal drug, across the city on Saturday. Police announced a limited amount of Narcan will be available to residents in the lobby of police headquarters at 123 Walnut Street.
“Please follow the instructions at the reception counter,” Wieland said, noting that there are limited quantities available for a limited time. However, he did not say how many would be distributed.
Police advised people to call 911 if they suspect they or a co-worker has overdosed.
Anyone with information regarding the recent increase in overdoses is asked to contact the Harrisburg Police Department at 717-558-6900. For tips and information, Crimewatch website.
Individuals wishing to participate in treatment or access services may call Dauphin County Drug & Alcohol Services 24 hours a day at 717-635-2254.
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