Santa Rosa father who lost son to accidental fentanyl overdose making it his 'goal' to warn others
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- High School students in Santa Rosa are mourning the loss of two classmates and one former classmate to fentanyl overdoses in the last month.
Flowers can still be seen outside of Montgomery High School. An 18-year-old student there died in February.
Amidst a small crowd of maybe a dozen, on a quiet Montgomery High School campus in Santa Rosa Thursday night, was a talk about a very serious matter.
"I lost my son Peter three weeks ago to fentanyl. It's my goal to figure out how to help, now to get the message out there," said Karl Kachigan of Santa Rosa.
RELATED: 2 Santa Rosa high school students die of suspected fentanyl overdoses, police say
Kachigan lost his 19-year-old son Peter, who he says had taken blue M30 pills that were counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl. Authentic blue pills look strikingly similar to counterfeit ones.
"We had dinner and he went in. He usually plays video games with his friends at night and it was kind of quiet - I figured maybe he had just passed out and I found him the next morning," said Kachigan.
At least four students and former students who were all 21 years or younger and had attended Santa Rosa city schools have died in the last month. At least three of those deaths are believed to be related to fentanyl overdoses.
"Any pill that you're not getting from a pharmacy is likely to be counterfeit, and if it's a counterfeit pill it's likely to contain a possibly illegal dose of fentanyl," said Sgt. Patricia Seffens of the Santa Rosa Police Department.
"It sneaks up on you, it grabs you, and it took my youngest son's life - and it is still here," said one woman during the presentation.
VIDEO: North Bay mother remembers teen daughter who died of suspected fentanyl overdose
Undercover officers leading the meeting, who asked that we not reveal their identity, talked about the importance of noticing changes in your kid's attitudes, clothes, or habits.
They recommend talking with your kids about drugs and even looking through their phone, electronics, and rooms.
For Karl who lost his wife a few years ago, is struggling with the loss of Peter to fentanyl; a young man who had been excited about taking classes at a nearby junior college.
"What do you miss most about your son?" asked ABC7 News reporter J.R. Stone.
"Everything, he was happy he was learning new things. He was excited, he kind of finally got his footing and thought he was enjoying classes and playing stock market and just doing things. Luckily, those are the memories I get to keep," said Kachigan.
