Tennessee Teen Charged with Murder in High School Overdose Case

A 17-year-old student has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance after two girls died in suspected overdoses at a high school in Tennessee. The third girl, who also overdosed, has been released from the hospital. Authorities believe the drug combination taken by the girls included fentanyl. The opioid has become increasingly prevalent among young people, with median monthly overdose deaths involving fentanyl for people ages 10 to 19 increasing by 182% from July to December 2019 compared to the same period in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.