2 dead in wave of Anoka County heroin overdoses

Authorities are investigating nine opioid overdoses in the Twin Cities suburbs, including two fatalities.

In Anoka County, the sheriff's office reported five men and one woman overdosed in separate incidents over a 12-hour period Saturday. One of the victims was hospitalized in critical condition Saturday night, the department said.

Two of the six are from Fridley while the others are from Anoka, Andover, Isanti, and Ham Lake. All of the victims are in their mid-20s, except for the man from Ham Lake, who's in his mid-30s.

Authorities have not released the victims' identities. Sheriff's officials suspect all used heroin from a single source.

Meanwhile in Bloomington, Deputy Police Chief Mike Hartley said three people were treated after suffering likely opioid overdoses at the Mall of America Friday evening.

A man and a woman in their mid-30s overdosed inside the mall; state troopers found a third victim outside during a traffic stop, Hartley said. Investigators "determined that all three of these people had been together ingesting narcotics prior to their medical emergencies," he added.

Minnesota has seen a spike in opioid overdose deaths in the last decade.

The Minnesota Department of Health says 216 people died across the state last year after overdosing on opioid painkillers and another 114 died after overdosing on illegal opioids like heroin.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story did not include the number of deaths from overdoses of illegal opioids like heroin.