Prayer vigil held in Dunn to remember victims of drug overdoses

DUNN, N.C. (WTVD) -- Community members gathered across from Dunn City Hall on Saturday afternoon for a prayer vigil in memory of drug overdose victims.

Earlier this month, Dunn Police found the bodies of three adults inside a Dunn motel room, all of whom died of drug overdoses.

"The incidents that have been occurring in town break our hearts. We're all human. All of us," said Major Cary Jackson of the Dunn Police Department.

Police found a 1-year old infant in the room, the child of one of the victims.

Last month, the Department of Justice and DEA held a news conference to highlight the dangers of fentanyl-laced deadly pills.

"We will never, ever arrest our way out of this problem. No matter how many people we take up 421 to Lillington, to the jailhouse. It's not going to stop this problem. We have to get into the hearts and minds of these people. And that's what our goal is," said Jackson.

The Department of Justice reported that opioids were responsible for nearly 3/4 of overdose deaths in the US in 2020. During the summer, the DEA initiated a national law enforcement effort, targeting fentanyl-laced pills. During a two-month span, the agency seized 1.8 million fentanyl-laced pills and arrested 810 people.

"So many young people are dying. That's who we need to grab hold to - the young kids out there," said Janice Smith, a speaker at the event.