Laura Berman says son died of overdose after drug dealer connects with him on Snapchat



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“My beautiful boy is gone. 16 years old,” Berman posted on Instagram of Samuel Berman Chapman’s death. “Take shelter at home. A drug dealer logged in with him on Snapchat and gave him Fentinyl (sic) laced Xanax or Percocet (toxicology will tell) and he overdosed in his room. They do this because it hooks people up even more and it’s good for business but it overdoses and the kids don’t know what they’re taking. “

“My heart is completely broken and I don’t know how to keep breathing,” she added. “I’m posting this now just so no children die. We watched him so closely. Straight A student. Getting ready for college. The experiment went wrong. He had the drugs delivered to the house. . Please watch your children and WATCH SNAPCHAT in particular. This is how they get them. ”

CNN spoke with Samuel Chapman, Laura’s husband and father of their three children.

He said their youngest son found Samuel in his bedroom lying on his back “… and a classic death pose with fentanyl, where … their breathing slows down so much their body starts to convulse,” Chapman described. .

Samuel had previously experimented with marijuana, Chapman said, and they were actively testing him and he was passing the tests.

“There has never been a hard drug in our house to our knowledge, until this Snapchat dealer met my son online,” he said.

CDC warns of 'substantial increase' in fatal overdoses to coincide with Covid-19 pandemic

Santa Monica police and paramedics responded to the home on Sunday evening.

There they found a minor who was unconscious and not breathing, police said, and despite their efforts, the teenager died at the scene.

Police said they believed the use of prescription drugs was involved and added the investigation was ongoing.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner is inquiring into the death, spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said.

Snapchat spokesperson Rachel Racusen said in an emailed statement to CNN that the company’s deepest sympathies go out to the family.

“We are committed to working with law enforcement in this and all cases where Snapchat is used for illegal purposes. We have zero tolerance for using Snapchat to buy or sell illegal drugs,” Racusen said.

Using Snapchat for illegal purposes is against corporate community guidelines and “we oppose such violations,” the spokesperson added.

“We are constantly improving our technological capabilities to detect drug-related activity so that we can intervene proactively. If you witness illegal behavior on Snapchat, please use our built-in tools to report it quickly and confidentially, so we can take action ”. Racusen said. “We have no higher priority than keeping Snapchat a safe environment and we will continue to invest in protecting our community.”

Chapman remembers his son as a “beautiful soul”.

“He had plans and dreams. He was a good student and a great friend to his classmates,” Chapman said.

Berman has titled “In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman” on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network and hosts the podcast “The Language of Love”.

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