Comedian Fuquan Johnson is among three dead from a suspected fentanyl overdose — a fourth person, Kate Quigley, is hospitalized.
Rico Angeli is one of the victims unidentified in most reports on the fatal incident.
According to TMZ, the incident occurred at a social gathering at a home in Venice, Los Angeles.
Comedians Fuquan Johnson and Kate Quigley, who lived close to the overdose location, were in attendance.
Local law enforcement responded to a 911 call shortly after midnight where they found four people who appeared non-responsive. According to the report, Fuquan and two others were pronounced dead at the scene.
Quigley was transported to a hospital and is reportedly in critical condition.
Victims reportedly used fentanyl-laced cocaine
Fuquan Johnson, Kate Quigley, Rico Angeli, and the unidentified victim are suspected of consuming social fentanyl-laced cocaine at the social gathering on Friday. An autopsy is being conducted to confirm the cause of death in the three victims.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that the CDC says is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
Most of the fentanyl-related deaths in the United States are from illegally made versions of the drug.
It is often mixed with cocaine, heroin, and other recreational drugs without the user’s knowledge. CDC reports that at least 36,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses in 2019. Musicians Tom Petty, Prince, and Mac Miller are among the notable figures who died from fentanyl-related deaths.
Kate Quigley dated Darius Rucker
Kate Quigley is a comedian that is well-known in the Los Angeles comedy community. She is a friend of the late Fuquan Johnson and dated Hootie & the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker. She shared a photograph of the pair, but they reportedly broke up earlier this year.
She had appeared on Playboy TV and in a few comedy projects, such as the fan-film project Star Trek: Hidden Frontier and hit sitcom The Office.
Who was Fuquan Johnson?
Fuquan Johnson was a 42-year-old comedian and wrote for the TV series Comedy Parlour Live. He was active in the Los Angeles comedy scene and was a friend of the late Nick Carthan.
Comedian Jack Assadourian Jr identified Rico Angeli, also a friend of Johnson, as one of the victims in an Instagram tribute.
All Def Comedy paid tribute to Johnson on Instagram, describing the late comedian with the following: “He was a genuine guy with a smile that made us all laugh. He will be greatly missed. We send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends.”