The potent opioid fentanyl may have claimed yet another life.
An 8-year-old boy's death in Kentucky, initially thought to be caused by an allergic reaction to strawberries, has been linked to fentanyl.
The Hopkins County Coroner's Office told People Magazine that Trey Major Harris' cause of death was determined to be "fentanyl intoxication," while the manner of death remains "undetermined."
In a previous press release, Madisonville Police Department said that it received a call about a boy "not breathing and unresponsive at his home" around 6:30 AM on Friday, March 15.
Trey's family disclosed to authorities that he had eaten several strawberries from a school fundraiser the night before and began showing signs of an allergic reaction.
They reported that they gave him Benadryl and soaked him in a bath, but when his symptoms persisted, the family decided to take the eight-year-old to the emergency room.
After returning home having not been evaluated, Trey went to sleep and was later found unresponsive.
Concerned over the potential outbreak, the Hopkins County Health Department issued a warning asking individuals not to eat strawberries purchased at the fundraiser as they would need to be examined by the FDA and state lab.
After a test proved negative, police issued a search warrant for Trey's stepfather, Antonio Person, who was arrested at his home on Tuesday, March 26, following authorities' discovery of a firearm, drugs, and drug paraphernalia.
Person, 33, was charged with trafficking fentanyl, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
The convicted felon was booked into the Hopkins County Jail, where he was also charged with second-degree manslaughter, and is expected to appear in court on Friday, April 12, according to records reviewed by People.
An obituary for Trey remembered him as someone who "left an indelible mark on all blessed to know him and had dreams of becoming a police officer because he loved helping others."
