QUEEN CREEK, AZ — A 16-year-old student is dead and two others are hospitalized after a suspected drug overdose at a Queen Creek school.
Around 10:40 p.m. Monday, police and medics were called to Canyon State Academy, near Ellsworth and Rittenhouse roads, for reports of students having a medical emergency.
Canyon State Academy is a private residential school, formerly the Arizona Boys Ranch, which serves male youth between the ages of 11-17.
Officials say three students were taken to a hospital, and one of them, a 16-year-old boy, died. The ages of the other two students haven't been released.
“It’s a tragedy,” said Darrin Miller, CEO of The River Source, a drug and alcohol rehab facility in Arizona.
Miller or the rehab facility aren’t associated with Canyon State Academy.
Miller said he’s noticed a trend in the patients his organization treats that substances have become more potent and patients have gotten younger.
“Meaning the need to intervene early and often is much higher and much more urgent,” he said.
The incident is being investigated as a possible overdose, according to Queen Creek police.
Canyon State Academy released the following statement regarding the incident:
We are deeply saddened a student passed away last night at a local hospital after ingesting an unknown substance. As a precautionary measure, roommates were taken to the hospital on a non-emergency basis and medically cleared.
While the incident is under investigation, early sources suggest the substances were supplied by the deceased youth’s family. The presence of illegal drugs within the community continues to be a threat for all youth, and any drug-related loss of life is tragic. We remain grateful to our staff, first responders, law enforcement, and the Town of Queen Creek for their medical attention and immediate response. We appreciate the community support for allowing our students, staff, and family to heal.
Elizabeth Moyer with the community health center, Valley Del Sol knows how illegal drugs continue to be a threat to youth.
“It’s extremely heartbreaking knowing that we have the service to provide to people that we want to help and people are dying in record numbers,” she said.
She says when drugs hit a community like this, they're sometimes asked to step in to provide resources for schools sut she says stopping substance abuse takes more than just an educator's cooperation.
"I think it not just the responsibility of the school’s community, friends, family, if a community is suffering, reach out, get help for that child,” she said.
An investigation remains ongoing.
