1 dead after 5 victims overdose at Hackensack mall

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Thursday, March 23, 2023
1 dead after 5 victims overdose at New Jersey mall
A woman has died after five people overdosed at the Shops at Riverside mall in Hackensack, New Jersey last week.

HACKENSACK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Officials say one person has died after five people overdosed at a mall in Hackensack last week.

First responders were called to the Shops at Riverside mall on March 15 after reports of multiple people displaying overdose symptoms.

Emergency crews took life-saving measures and administered Narcan to the five women who were all found unresponsive in a lower-level parking lot.

It appears all five women, ages 29-41, were employees of one of the businesses at the mall and unknowingly ingested fentanyl. Officials say they thought it was cocaine and did not know it was laced.

Over the weekend, one of the five victims, 29-year-old Michelle Edoo, died from the overdose.

A GoFundMe page has now been set up by her colleagues to help her young daughter. According to the GoFundMe page, the victim worked at the Cheesecake Factory and was a single mother who was also a nursing student.

She was described as having a joyous personality and loved being the life of the party.

On Thursday, sources said two people were taken into custody in connection with the case, including one person who went to Paterson to buy the drugs and the dealer.

ALSO READ | Fentanyl poisoning: 3 fatal doses in same night

In one day in NYC, three young professionals died after buying and ingesting drugs laced with fentanyl from drug dealer Billy Ortega. Dan Krauth has the story.

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