By Melanie Pileggi
Toronto police are warning the public of a suspicious drug that is responsible for two resident deaths this weekend.
Emergency crews were called for a potential drug overdose in the Yonge Street and Lawton Boulevard area on Sunday.
Two men, 53-years old and 33-years old, consumed several narcotics at a house party in the surrounding area, according to police. Both men overdosed and died due to the drug in question’s “potent effects.”
These are the most recent deaths in the city being blamed on mysterious drugs. Last week, two men were recently affected by this drug. One of the men who died of a suspected overdose was found lying on the ground for hours in Toronto’s Bellevue Square park last week.
The other individual, 28-year old DJ Ryckman, died three weeks earlier of a suspected overdose in the same Kensington Market park after emergency personnel tried to revive him outside the tent where he slept.
Rykman was honoured in a vigil, as he was a well-known member of the Indigenous community, and a skilled artist and dancer. Ryckman had become homeless right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
In May of this year, the total number of opioid-related deaths in Toronto was 215, according to Toronto Public Health. This number points towards a yearly total of 516, which is less than the 531 that the city saw last year.
Investigators are concerned that this suspicious drug may have been sold or given to others, and the drug is now undergoing testing.
Anyone who may have information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Be the first to comment