Two women found dead in a Bucktown apartment last month died from accidental overdoses of cocaine and fentanyl, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined. Both women worked at Chicago Public Schools, according to online records.
Chicago police officers responded to a third-floor apartment in the 2300 block of North Leavitt Street around 3 p.m. on July 10 and found Shirley Colon, 36, and Taina Rios, 40, unresponsive, officials said. CWB Chicago reported last month that a CPD report said officers found suspected narcotics on a counter near the women, along with two straws that appeared to have been used to ingest the drugs. Initial autopsy results were inconclusive as the medical examiner waited for toxicology testing to come back.
Those results showed both women died from the combined effects of cocaine and fentanyl, according to the medical examiner’s office. Their deaths were ruled accidental.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin, has become a leading driver of overdose deaths in the United States. While it was once most commonly found mixed with heroin, it is now frequently detected in cocaine, counterfeit prescription pills, methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs, often without users’ knowledge.
At the time of her death, Colon was listed as a security officer at Lake View High School. A GoFundMe campaign launched in her honor said she was “known for her kindness, warmth, and unwavering support for everyone she met. Her presence brought comfort and joy to students, staff, and families alike. Shirley had a way of lifting people up during their lowest moments, and her laugh and smile could brighten any room. She was truly one of the best people you could ever meet, always there for others when they needed her most.”
Rios continues to be listed as a special education classroom assistant on the McPherson IB World School website.
“She was known for her contagious laugh, her loud and unmistakably presence, and a heart big enough to hold everyone in it,” her obituary read. “She gave her unwavering support to family and friends alike, chased life with a spontaneous and adventurous spirit, and carried deep love for travel and the beauty of nature.”
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