2 CPS workers discovered dead in Bucktown apartment died from overdoses, medical examiner says

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office decided that two women found dead in a Bucktown apartment last month died of accidental cocaine and fentanyl overdoses. Both women worked for Chicago Public Schools, according to online records.

Around 3 p.m. on July 10, Chicago police officers arrived at a third-floor apartment in the 2300 block of North Leavitt Street and discovered Shirley Colon, 36, and Taina Rios, 40, unresponsive, officials said. Last month, CWB Chicago reported that a CPD report stated that officers discovered probable narcotics on a counter near the women, as well as two straws that seemed to have been used to consume the substances. The initial autopsy results were inconclusive while the medical examiner awaited toxicology results.

According to the medical examiner’s office, both ladies died as a result of cocaine and fentanyl toxicity. Their deaths were declared an accident.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times more strong than heroin, has become the main cause of overdose deaths in the United States. While it was previously most typically found coupled with heroin, it is now routinely found in cocaine, counterfeit prescription pills, methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics, often without the users’ knowledge.

Colon worked as a security officer at Lake View High School when she died. A GoFundMe page started in her memory stated that she was “known for her kindness, warmth, and unwavering support for everyone she met.” Her presence provided comfort and delight to students, staff, and families alike. Shirley had a knack of bringing people up at their worst moments, and her laugh and grin could light up any room. She was certainly one of the greatest persons you could ever meet, always willing to help others when they needed it the most.”

Rios still listed as a special education teaching assistant on the McPherson IB World School website.

“She was known for her contagious laugh, her loud and unmistakably presence, and a heart big enough to hold everyone in it,” her funeral notice stated. “She gave her unwavering support to family and friends alike, chased life with a spontaneous and adventurous spirit, and carried deep love for travel and the beauty of nature.”