Possible fentanyl overdose at Chickasaw High School: Police

CHICKASAW, Ala. (WPMI) — UPDATE: Chickasaw Police are investigating a possible fentanyl overdose at the high school. Chief Keith Miller says around 10:30 Tuesday morning a 16-year-old student took a pill and then passed out in a classroom. Miller says the teen is expected to survive.

"It's getting to the point now that parents need to understand the imminent risk that their children face," said Miller.

Miller says first responders were initially alerted to a possible allergic reaction at the school, but a student came forward and said they'd witnessed the 16-year-old swallow a pill. Miller brought in K-9s from the Alabama Department of Corrections and the Chickasaw Police Department to sweep the school for fentanyl.

"The exposure to fentanyl can be deadly very quickly. So we want to make sure that the school is safe. We want to make sure that there are no other narcotics or fentanyl lying around," said Miller.

Miller says the K-9s found no other fentanyl at the school. Dozens of parents checked students out after news broke. Students were in a soft lockdown until 1:30.

Tuesday’s possible fentanyl overdose comes almost one month after 15-year-old Adrianna Taylor overdosed at her Semmes home. The sheriff's office charged her 17-year-old boyfriend with manslaughter alleging he knowingly gave her pills laced with fentanyl. Miller says his department will also be aggressively looking at how the Chickasaw student got the pill he took.

"Even in a town as small as Chickasaw, we make federal arrests and we have fentanyl overdoses. That in and of itself should demonstrate the problem that we have," said Miller.

Miller says the school does not have Narcan, which can immediately reverse an overdose to save someone's life, but added the school was already in the process of getting it and is set to train staff how to use it.

ORIGINAL:

Chickasaw Police say a 16-year-old overdosed at the high school this morning. The male student is expected to survive.

Chief Keith Miller says the school went into a soft lockdown while drug dogs search the school for fentanyl.

Miller says around 10:30 this morning, another student witnessed the 16-year-old take a pill in the gym. The student immediately became unconscious.

Miller says they suspect the pill contained fentanyl.

This is a developing story that will be updated.