ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) — The St. Louis Fire Department reported an additional death Sunday due to a suspected fentanyl overdose within three blocks, making it six total deaths from the incident.
The six people died at two different locations between the 4300 and 4500 block of Forest Park Avenue. Police are investigating the deaths, which are all suspected to be from fentanyl poisoning, but must be tested and confirmed. One person at the scene told News 4 three of the fatal overdoses happened on the tenth floor of Parkview Apartments.
The St. Louis Fire Department reported Saturday five people died from drug overdoses within three blocks. Police are investigating.
Investigators originally said the deaths were suspected to be caused by fentanyl poisoning. The St. Louis Fire Department later clarified the drugs must be tested before saying definitively what the drug is.
According to a spokesperson for STLFD, two members of the fire department were taken to the hospital due to contamination from an unknown opioid. They would not provide details on what happened to the fire department employees. They have since been released from the hospital.
Two other people were taken to the hospital. Their status is unknown at this time.
Fentanyl has a greater link to overdose deaths in St. Louis City than any other drug. Around 900 people have died in the city from overdose deaths in the last two years. More than half of them are linked to fentanyl, according to St. Louis City drug overdose data. The CDC reports fentanyl is primarily responsible for the increase in opioid-related deaths in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021.
Just last week, the St. Louis division of the Drug Enforcement Agency reported recovering twice as much fentanyl in 2021 (188 kilograms) than in 2020 (82 kilograms), a new record.
A Kirkwood family lost someone who struggled with addiction to fentanyl in 2018. Matt Mastroianni died days before his 33rd birthday, according to his family.
“Fentanyl is scary,” said Katie Scarato, sister to Matt Mastroianni. “It was three different types of fentanyl that were in his system. We were not that familiar with fentanyl, with how deadly it is.”
“This can happen to a normal American family,” Matt’s mother, Ann Mastroianni, said.
Matt’s family holds an annual walk in his honor to bring awareness to mental health and addiction.
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