3 people found dead in downtown Los Angeles, police say

3 found dead in building in DTLA

Three people were found dead in a building near Skid Row in Downtown LA. Two of the victims have been described as a man in his 30s and a man in his 50s.

LOS ANGELES - Three people were found dead at an apartment building in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon from an apparent drug overdose.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call in the 600 block of Wall Street. Police say the city's fire department found three bodies at the scene, with overdose being suspected as the cause of their deaths.

Two of the three people found dead were described as men between the ages of 30 and 50.

While officials did not say what substance the three people may have overdosed on, it has raised concerns about "tranq," which Los Angeles Police Department officials described as a potent and deadly combination of fentanyl and xylazine.

City Councilwoman Traci Park is urging further action against street drugs. She introduced a motion in March advocating for more communication and information being shared among first responders, the county's Department of Public Health and city personnel who come into regular contact with the substances. In addition, her motion asks for a report from the city's Personnel Department to report on efforts to prioritize worker safety.

Councilwoman Traci Park urges action following Skid Row seaths

Reacting to the suspected overdose deaths of three people found inside a Skid Row apartment building, City Councilwoman Traci Park Thursday urged further action against street drugs.

In the county, there has been a 1,280% increase in fentanyl-linked deaths between 2016 and 2021, officials said. "Tranq" is more potent than fentanyl, is unresponsive to the overdose-reversal drug Narcan and in severe cases it can lead to amputation, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Park said in a statement she hopes her motion will help the city better understand the need for response procedures and better align the efforts of first responders, local health authorities and communities throughout the city.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the building where the three bodies were found, known as 649 Lofts, is owned by the Skid Row Housing Trust, a nonprofit housing provider. The city filed a petition last Thursday seeking the establishment of a public health and safety receivership for the trust after it announced it was unable to continue operating its 29 buildings.

City News Service contributed to this report

Downtown LA Crime and Public Safety