A 17-year-old girl is dead and Kelowna police are trying to identify the person who reportedly gave her the toxic mix of drugs that killed her.
Police believe Marissa Ginter and some friends thought they were taking MDMA, or ecstasy, last Thursday from somebody who was reportedly handing out pinches of a mashed-up mixture of drugs.
All of them became sick – but Ginter later died from the drugs.
“I had a couple other friends that did, I think, the same stuff,” said Dusty Knorr, who went to school with Ginter. “They didn’t die, but they were in pretty rough shape, like, puking and what not.”
He said her death is a grisly reminder to avoid drugs.
“As soon as I heard that Marissa passed away, I immediately thought ‘I’ve got to be extra careful now and, or just steer clear of it altogether.”
The death comes just days after police issued a warning about tainted party drugs circulating in the Okanagan Valley city.
“Drugs by themselves are all toxins and poisons. It’s the amount that a person takes that will come up with the result of the drug,” said drug educator Tibor Palatinus.
“A small amount may just be a stimulant, or it could put a person in the hospital or it could kill them,” he said.
Kelowna police are expected to release more information on their ongoing investigation on Tuesday.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Kent Molgat
