Logan Williams overdose – Rise of fentanyl deaths killing celebrities Flash star, Michael K Williams, Prince & Tom Petty

LOGAN Williams is the latest celebrity to die from a deadly suspected fentanyl overdose that has also claimed the lives of stars such as Michael K Williams, Prince, and Tom Petty.

The Flash star passed away in April 2020, and the deadly drug continues to claim lives across America as part of a raging opioid epidemic.

Coroners earlier this week confirmed that teen star Williams died from an "unintentionally illicit drug toxicity (fentanyl)" - more than a year after his sudden death.

The document, which was obtained by the New York Post, said: “Toxicological analysis detected fentanyl in a range where lethal outcomes have been reported.

“Even small amounts of fentanyl have been shown to be potentially toxic.”

The actor, who was renowned for his role as Barry Allen on The Flash, died just days before his 17th birthday.

The child star also played Jack Spehn in the 2014 film The Color of Rain when he was just 10 years old.

It’s thought that up to two milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly but health officials have found tabs containing more than five milligrams of the drug.

It’s feared that one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill up to 500,000 people as it is trafficked across borders, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.  

Drug overdose deaths have surged across the US by 30 percent during the pandemic.

The actor’s mom Marilyse vowed last year that "his death is not going to be in vain.”

Tragically, the teen star is just the latest celebrity to have his life taken by the drug.

The Wire star Michael K Williams was found dead in his New York apartment on Monday.

There are suggestions that fentanyl may have been involved in the 54-year-old's death, according to NBC New York.

Drug paraphernalia was found in the apartment and coroners are trying to determine a cause of death.

The actor’s nephew Dominic DuPont has since rejected allegations Williams’ death was caused by a drug overdose.

He said: “I’m not going to speak about what the police are alleging.”

Comedian Fuquan Johnson was among three people found dead inside an apartment in Venice Beach, LA last Saturday.

'DRUG EPIDEMIC'

He was a mainstay on the LA comedy circuit and was also a writer for Comedy Parlor Live.

Natalie Williamson, 33, and fellow entertainer Enrico Colangeli, 48, were also found lifeless.

Police believe they consumed the powerful synthetic opioid that is more than 50 times more potent than heroin.

Weeks before Johnson was found dead, tweets suggested that the funnyman may have been using comedy to “numb” his pain.

One such post, from August 25, read: "at times i SAY i’m IGHT but i’m just NUMBING myself with COMEDY....."

Autopsy results revealed that Bobby Brown Jr – the son of Bobby Brown – died last November from a combination of alcohol, cocaine, and fentanyl, US Today reports.

The 28-year-old’s girlfriend found him unresponsive at his California home on November 18.

Paramedics declared him dead when they arrived on the scene.

Coroners said his death was an accident and no foul play was suspected.

Brown Jr’s passing came just years after Whitney Houston was found dead after she drowned in a bathtub in 2012.

Rap superstar Mac Miller also died of an accidental overdose at his California home on September 7, 2018.

The musician had a history of substance abuse and had ingested a lethal dose of alcohol and drugs before his passing.

An autopsy revealed Miller had a lethal mixture of fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol in his system when he died.

He was on the way back to recovery and health, and by all accounts, it was just a tragic accident.

Guy Lawrence

DJ Guy Lawrence, of Disclosure, told EDM: "He was on the way back to recovery and health, and by all accounts, it was just a tragic accident."

The rapper's personal assistant told cops that Miller had been in "good spirits" and was working on projects, NPR reports.

Cameron James Petit, 28, allegedly gave Mac a deadly concoction of Xanax, cocaine, and fentanyl.

Petit and two other men were charged in October 2019 with the distribution of a controlled substance in connection with Mac's death. He pleaded not guilty, according to WeHoville.

Singer-songwriter Tom Petty died of an accidental overdose in 2017, according to Los Angeles coroners.

He had taken several medications including fentanyl and oxycodone to relieve pain.

Petty’s family said that the drugs had been prescribed to treat emphysema, knee problems, and a fractured hip, The Rolling Stone reports.

His death came just a week after the Heartbreakers 40th anniversary tour.

Medics found him unconscious at his Malibu home in October 2017 where he was rushed to hospital and put on life support.

His family hoped that his death would spark a debate on the opioid crisis within the US.

Petty's daughter Adria said: "It (Fentanyl) is so crazy-strong. We really don't want this to happen to anyone else.

"We learned this is the worst feeling you can have: to lose someone you love for no good reason."

Legendary singer, dancer, and record producer Prince died in Minnesota in April 2016.

'TRAGIC LOSS'

He was one of the best-selling artists of all time having sold over 100million records worldwide.

Prince was 57 when he died after he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park home in May 2016.

Cops searched Prince’s home and looked through the mobile phone records of his associates, according to search warrants.

Other bottles of pills were allegedly marked under the names of different drugs – but at least one of those tested positive for fentanyl.

In April 2018, cops announced that nobody would be charged in connection with supplying the painkillers that killed the artist.

Fentanyl has not just killed celebrities – it has claimed the lives of many Americans across the country.

Last week, at least eight people in Long Island’s North Fork had overdosed on a tainted batch of the drug, leaving six dead who ranged in age from 27 to 40.

Almost 300 people in Houston died from the drug last year – compared to just 13 fatalities in 2013.

And in the state of Texas, health bosses recorded a 50 percent increase in synthetic opioid deaths between June 2019 and May 2020.

The overdose epidemic tragically claimed more than 93,000 lives last year.

Gianna Castrianni told The Sun that 60 percent of fatal overdoses last year involved synthetic opioids and were mostly caused by the worrying increase in fentanyl-laced drugs.

She said that fentanyl isn’t just being laced into cocaine – it is being mixed with Xanax, methamphetamines, and Adderall.

And, ruthless drug dealers trick their unsuspected victims by pressing the drug into pills in a bid to try and make them look legitimate.