Recent drug overdose deaths has one community on high alert

BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Booneville Police has issued a warning after two drug overdose deaths.

Police said the drugs were laced with fentanyl.

“It’s a tragedy that these souls have been lost and these people have died,” said Mayor Chris Lindley.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid and has a high risk of addiction.

Residents in Booneville are now on a mission to take back their community after the potent and deadly drug found its way into the Prentiss County town.

“A mother lost her son or daughter,” the mayor expressed. “A child lost his mother or a father.”

“This is just such a small community, we really don’t experience stuff like this,” said Tina McDonald, who’s a longtime Booneville resident. “This is just a good place to raise your children.”

McDonald was one of the hundreds of residents who came out to Wednesday’s community meeting looking for ways to put an end to what she calls a growing epidemic.

“I just think the devil is busy,” she said. “We as church members, we just need to do more praying. We need to be more visible in the community instead of just going to the church. We need to get out and work the community more.”

“We know we are losing people in our community at a rapid pace,” said Pastor Antonio Magee, of Springhill M.B. Church. “When we lose people in our community, we lose people in our churches, so that’s why we feel the need to just come together on one accord just to have prayer and praise service.”

During the community meeting, pastors prayed for those who’ve been affected by the drug, and also gave out information to make people aware of fentanyl, and as well as the resources available to anyone hooked on the drug.

“Just inform our community, inform our individuals of the resources,” Pastor Magee explained. “Just give them more resources even if they are addicted to drugs, we’re not going to look down on them, but we are going to give them the necessary help for them so that they can be successful.”

“It’s okay to fall, it’s not okay not to get back up,” said Mayor Lindley. “When you fall down you got to get back up and you got to try. We just want to encourage everybody that if you’ve fallen, get back up on your feet, seek help, call someone, call your local pastor, call your local church. There are organizations that’ll reach out and help you with these drug addictions and problems with drug addiction.”

Lindley admitted fentanyl and the tragic deaths are hacking a big impact on the entire city.

However, he was confident that with continuous prayer and raising awareness, they will be able to take back their community and help get the drug off of the streets.

“I know there’s been some bad remarks on Facebook about people saying they deserve what they get,” said Lindley. “It’s by the grace of God that it could be me, it could be anybody. The Bible says judge not unless you be judged by the saw judgment.”

Community leaders are hoping everyone takes what they learned during Wednesday’s meeting and implement it into their everyday lives.

They said the community coming together on one accord is the only way to combat this problem.

First United Pentecostal Church in Booneville has an outpatient counseling program to help assist anyone who may be struggling from drug addiction.