A 13-year-old student at The Sport and Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford who suffered an overdose at school Thursday remains hospitalized, in grave condition, school officials said.
As of Friday afternoon, the student was still in grave condition, according to Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert.
Two other students who came in contact with the substance have been released and are at home.
Boisvert said upon a search of the school, investigators found 40 small bags of what was later determined to be fentanyl in powder form. The bags were found in two classrooms and the gymnasium.
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"It's poison," Boisvert said. He said it's a very deadly and dangerous substance.
“Yesterday was a very challenging day, a hard day, a scary day for our school community at The Sport and Medical Sciences Academy and our entire Hartford Public Schools community,” Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, the superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, said Friday morning.
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She asked that people keep the injured student and the family in their prayers.
She said school officials learned mid-morning that one student consumed and two others came in contact with a narcotic substance that contained fentanyl and medical support was given.
Torres-Rodriguez said the investigation is still ongoing as crews worked to determine the level of contamination if any.
Students were kept in lockdown. As they were dismissed, students had to ensure that their shoes were decontaminated in case they had been exposed.
Torres-Rodriguez said support services, in-person, and virtual, are being offered.
The building is being cleaned, Torres-Rodriguez said. “Dust wipe sampling” is being done and those samples will be going to a lab in New Jersey for testing.
Police said they believe a student brought the bags of fentanyl into the school.
The school is closed Friday and will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s not yet clear if it will reopen on Tuesday, but the lab that will analyze the samples is closed over the weekend.
Torres-Rodriguez said the department of public health will be notifying school officials if people can go back into the building. There needs to be no level of contamination to be able to return.
Hartford Police said every division of the department is working to solve what happened on Thursday.
