West Palm Beach police are investigating three fatal drug overdoses that occurred hours apart on May 12.
Detectives said synthetic opioids may have been involved and cautioned that a deadly batch may be making its way through the city. Whoever is selling the drug may be mixing it with other narcotics, they said.
“We urge the public to stay vigilant — this batch is lethal,” West Palm Beach Police Deputy Chief Anthony Shearer said in a prepared statement. “We’ve already lost lives, and until we identify and remove it from our streets, no one is safe.”
Investigators say the fatalities took place in different neighborhoods within West Palm Beach. One death occurred in the north end of the city, one happened in the downtown area and another happened near Palm Beach International Airport. Police did not disclose the names, ages or genders of the persons who died.
During a forum held in February at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, state and local officials noted a 46% drop in opioid overdose deaths for Palm Beach County in 2024 compared with 2023. But officials cautioned that dangers remain as newer synthetic drugs become available.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office reported 58 drug-related deaths for 2025 through the end of March, down from 107 at the same point in 2024.
West Palm Beach police are encouraging anyone with information about the overdose cases to contact Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 1-800-458-TIPS (8477) or visit the Crime Stoppers website.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 3 die of drug overdoses within hours in West Palm; police fear synthetic opioid involved
Reporting by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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