Gig Harbor teen’s death may have been caused by laced marijuana at sleepover, family says
The Gig Harbor-area community is mourning the death of 16-year-old Adrian Gunter, who loved ones described as “one in a million.”
Gunter died suddenly on Sunday, Jan. 21, his mother, Tessa Gunter told the Gateway.
He would have been 17 on March 30. He once was a student at Gig Harbor High School, but had recently transitioned to Tacoma Community College at the Gig Harbor campus.
While hanging out with friends at a sleepover in Tacoma, it appears Adrian Gunter died from an accidental overdose, his mom said. She said the other kids at the hangout have said they were smoking marijuana. She said it could have been laced with something. They are still waiting for the toxicology report.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office said the cause of death and manner of death are both pending.
Detective William Muse, a spokesperson with the Tacoma Police Department, confirmed details from the police report with the Gateway.
“A minor had allegedly engaged in the consumption of recreational drugs,” he said. “Without any official information from the Medical Examiner’s Office, we cannot say a drug overdose occurred, or provide an actual cause of death for the minor.”
Adrian Gunter was found unresponsive at the Tacoma home and given CPR by people there, Muse said. He was also given CPR by firefighting personnel when they arrived.
He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Muse said.
He added that the incident is not being investigated as a homicide at this time.
Tessa Gunter said her son “was not into drugs at all.” She believes if others had not supplied the drugs he would have never done them.
Adrian Gunter was ambitious and looking forward to starting his new job as a camp counselor at a camp on Orcas Island, she said.
He loved the outdoors and being by the water. He’d taken two sailing classes, and he was in a wooden boat building class last summer.
He was also into vinyl records. One of his favorite places to visit was the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. He also liked to test his skills in the kitchen.
“He would just pick out random recipes, cook it, and it would be perfect,” his mother said.
Many people in the Gig Harbor area knew Adrian Gunter.
“He’d go around and talk to everyone,” his mom said. “I hope they will remember him for his sense of humor, his smile, and his silly jokes,” his mom said. “He’s always making jokes, and kept people entertained.”
The Peninsula School District sent out a district-wide email to students, families, and staff on Tuesday, Jan. 23 about Adrian Gunter’s passing.
“Our entire school community is deeply saddened by this tragic loss,” the email said. “During this difficult time, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Adrian’s family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they navigate through this unimaginable grief.”
The email reminded the community that district counselors are a resource for students and staff to use as needed.
“When events like this happen, it is not unusual for students and staff to react with shock, sadness, fear, anger, or other strong feelings,” the email said. “… We must all practice patience and show respect for each other.”
The youth drug overdose crisis in Pierce County
Accidental drug overdose deaths in Pierce County are increasing for young people from the ages of 18 to 24, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Heath Department (TPCHD) website.
In March, The News Tribune reported about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Pierce County.
Deaths from fentanyl and stimulants such as methamphetamine increased dramatically in 2020 and 2021, The News Tribune reported, based on a 2023 report by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department titled: “Pierce County Mental Health: A data-informed perspective.”
Much like with access to mental health care, the report said that barriers to drug treatment, counseling and support worsened during the pandemic, The News Tribune reported.
“While we don’t yet know the longer-term effects of the pandemic and related societal events, the data suggests many Pierce County youth are still dealing with the events of the last two years,” the 2023 report said.
Just five months ago, Pierce County’s Behaviorial Health Policy Coordinator, Elizabeth Allen wrote about protecting youth from fentanyl.
“From Jan. 2020 to June 2022, more than 60 young people under the age of 24 died from fentanyl in Pierce County,” she said in the blog post. “And another 342 young people under 25 visited emergency departments for drug poisoning.”
TPCHD updates its overdose death numbers and other trends each month on their website, according to spokesperson Kenny Via.
“Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury deaths in Pierce County,” Allen wrote. “It’s the second leading cause of injury deaths for people 15-24 years old.”
The Washington State Department of Heath took steps this year to provide naxolone, also known as Narcan, in all public high schools in the state.
“Narcan is a safe and effective medicine that can reverse the harmful effects of an opioid overdose, including one caused by fentanyl,” according to a DOH news release. “Naloxone is available in a nasal spray that can be given to anyone, any age, during a suspected opioid overdose and has no harmful effects even if opioids are not present in the system.”
TPCHD has also taken steps to try to prevent drug overdoses.
“In late 2020, the Pierce County Council passed a one-tenth of 1% sales tax to help improve behavioral health,” Allen wrote.
They have used some of that money for a youth fentanyl prevention campaign.
The council partnered with the Tacoma-Pierce County Opioid Task Force and youth organizations to create fentanylfacts.org and advertisements to explain the “dangers of fentanyl.”
They’ve “run ads on social media platforms young people use often like Twitch, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram,” according to Allen’s blog. “You might also come across ads on billboards, TV, radio, streaming, online or in movie theaters.”
Memorial and celebration of life
A close family friend, Carolyn Young-McKee, is fundraising for a memorial at GHHS in honor of Adrian. Her son and Adrian were close friends, she said.
As of Monday, the GoFundMe has raised $6,975 of its $7,500 goal.
When asked what kind of memorial she had in mind and what the funds would be used for, Young-McKee said she’ll be getting together with an art teacher at GHHS to talk design ideas for either “a meaningful sculpture or friendship benches.”
If the district won’t allow the memorial on school property, Young-McKee said they’ll explore placing the memorial somewhere else in the harbor.
If any funds are left over, she’d like to create a college scholarship fund for GHHS students.
“He was taken from us way before his time; Adrian had so much to contribute to this world,” Young-McKee wrote in her GoFundMe post. “His infectious smile brightened anyone’s day … . He was literally ‘one in a million’ and we are all deeply devastated by losing him.”
Young-McKee and her husband own Tuell-McKee Funeral Home in Tacoma, Bremerton and Puyallup. They donated their services, she told the Gateway. Family and friends held a memorial service for Adrian Gunter Jan. 27 at the Tuell-McKee Funeral Home at 2215 Sixth Ave. in Tacoma.
Adrian Gunter is survived by his mother, his father Adam, stepmother Tonia, sister Michelle and brothers Eli, Christopher and Dalton.
News Tribune archives contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 29, 2024 at 1:09 PM.
