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Ramone O'Neal, 28, and Sean Lee, 37, were said to be in the same cell when they reportedly overdosed at D.C. Jail on Sunday, May 15, according to WTOP and NBC Washington.
Lee was pronounced dead while his cellmate had to be revived with NARCAN, the outlets report. He was and was taken to the hospital where he is expected to survive.
Investigators are now trying to figure out how the drugs entered the jail and local politicians have called attention to issue as well.
"Since Friday, I have followed up on two reported concerns about the conditions and mistreatment at the D.C. Jail. I spoke to the family of an inmate that died in the jail's psychiatric unit," Council Member Trayon White said in a letter posted on his Twitter. "The mother of the deceased is outraged, having last heard from her son on Mother's Day."
White also posted a video confirming a report of an additional inmate death on Friday, May 13. While the autopsy has not come out, there are allegations that inmate also died via overdose.
"Two deaths within three days means there's something going on in here that we need to know about and address so there won't be more deaths," White said in the video.
"We have a duty to keep people safe when they're in our care and so that deeply concerns me that we have lost a life and then another deeply impacted," Council Member Charles Allen told NBC Washington. "Any overdose, as we have seen across the city, unfortunately, often times does include fentanyl so we should take it very seriously and assume that could be it"
DC police are investigation the deaths as well and autopsies are being conducted to determine official causes of death, the outlet reports.
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