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Prison inmates dead after incident at Columbia Correctional Institution

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — According to the Florida Department of Corrections, two prison inmates in Lake City have died Saturday following an incident at Columbia Correctional Institution.

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Officials say at 3:15 p.m., three inmates were found unresponsive from a suspected drug overdose. Security and medical staff responded to the incident to perform lifesaving measures, but the FDC says two inmates were pronounced deceased. The other inmate is said to be in stable condition.

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The prison staff that responded to the situation are being evaluated at a hospital for treatment of symptoms related to a potential drug exposure.

“At this time, our focus is on the health and swift recovery of the officers and individuals involved. The facility has been placed on lockdown - while we provide FDLE with everything they need to investigate this incident,” Michelle Glady, with the FDC, said.

Sunday visitation at the facility has been canceled.

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