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Police: 8 Heroin Overdoses On Saturday Alone

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A disturbing number of drug overdoses on Chicago's South Side may all be linked to a dangerous strain of heroin.

There were eight overdoses on Saturday alone, according to a Chicago Police spokesperson. Police say the overdoses are potentially connected to the same batch of heroin.

Community Activist Andrew Holmes canvassed the South Shore neighborhood while passing out flyers near 79th and East End. He asked residents to look out for a man he says may be dealing a dangerous batch.

"My man, you could be charged with first-degree murder. These people are in the hospital after overdosing off of what you gave them," Holmes said.

Saturday night, police alerted the narcotics units and the city's Department of Public Health after multiple people in South Shore and Roseland were sent to area hospitals.

One woman, who does not wish to be identified, says she lost her fiance to a drug overdose in 2014. She added that she is worried about her other family members buying drugs on Chicago streets.

"This person -- whoever you are, it needs to stop," she said.

CBS 2 reached out to the Drug Enforcement Administration to not only see if they are working to track down this bad batch of drugs, but also to inquire about what makes this strain so dangerous.

Chicago Police say they do not have any reports of deaths from these overdoses.

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