HARRISBURG, Pa. — In Harrisburg resident William Cook’s apartment, an empty seat stands out against the rest of the room; the last person to sit in it was his neighbor, whom he wished not to be referenced by name.
“That imprint right there is the last place she sat at," Cook said, pointing at the spot.
Just days earlier, his neighbor stayed with Cook's husband when he went to the hospital. Little did he know, his return would mark the last time he saw his neighbor.
"The next thing I know," Cook recalled, "I got a text. Someone in the building had died.”
Dauphin County officials say that there were 18 overdoses countywide from Friday night into Saturday morning.
Cook’s neighbor was found dead during a welfare check. He described her as a lovely woman who cared for everyone.
“It’s crazy how one day you can see somebody, give them a hug, get a kiss on the cheek, get in the elevator and never see them again," Cook said.
Two men were also found dead from suspected overdoses during the check; a separate victim was found dead on the street, making 4 deaths in total.
City officials issued a warning to the public Saturday.
“We were inundated with a lethal batch of drugs," Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams stated.
In a notice on Saturday morning, officials said the overdoses “appear to be associated with individuals believing they are ingesting a cocaine-based substance, but the substance appears to also contain an opioid-based narcotic.”
The mayor is urging those considering using drugs, not to do so.
“We do not want to see any more danger, any more deaths, to the residents of the city of Harrisburg," Williams said.
Cook says he worries this could happen to others.
“All these people are dying over this, and it’s not right," Cook expressed. "Not right at all.”