Mass K2 overdose in Brooklyn
NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Investigators are reportedly focusing in on a deli and shop in Bedford-Stuyvesant as the sources of the drug that lead to a mass overdose on Tuesday.
Thirty-three people were hospitalized in Brooklyn after the apparent mass overdose on synthetic marijuana, also widely known as K2, the NYPD said.
EMS responded to a 911 call at about 9:40 a.m. of people with "altered mental status" outside an apartment building on Stockton Street.
Video of several people walking around like zombies was posted to Facebook by a man who lives in the area.
Firefighters, cops and paramedics found the victims in various states of distress.
Some patients were transported to Woodhull Hospital and others were taken to Wycoff Heights Medical Center, police said.
One was reportedly transported after an ambulance was flagged down at Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue to deal with the person who was combative, according to the Daily News.
A deli and a head shop on Broadway that have been the subject of prior complaints of drug selling are being investigated, reported the DN.
The shop allegedly stored the drug for the deli.
Selling and manufacturing synthetic marijuana is a crime in New York City. Violators could face a year in jail and fines up to $50,000.
In 2015, more than 4,500 people citywide were sent to emergency rooms because of K2.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse says synthetic cannabinoids can be addictive and raise blood pressure, kidney damage, seizures, reduced blood supply to the heart, vomiting, violent behavior, suicidal thoughts and more.
WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE