Gwinnett County inmates have been told a white powder was found in the county jail, where two people died earlier this week, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday.
“While we believe this is a contained incident, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office has taken immediate precautions by notifying the resident population of the white powdery substance that was found in our facility,” Senior Deputy Carlton J. Releford said in an emailed statement.
Two inmates died Monday after being found unconscious, the sheriff’s office said late Tuesday.
After deputies found the two, staff at the jail performed life-saving measures but neither survived, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office said. Their names were not released.
The GBI was called to the jail to lead the investigation. Those findings will be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office.
“We are deeply concerned over the unexpected deaths of these two individuals,” Sheriff Keebo Taylor said in an emailed statement. “We are fully cooperating with the GBI’s investigation.”
The Gwinnett sheriff’s office said Wednesday it has initiated an internal investigation.
“We are reviewing current policies, procedures and training to ensure the safety and health of our resident population,” Releford said.
The deaths come months after the deaths of two other inmates at the jail.
In April, Deion Thomas Strayhon, 26, of Dacula died following a medical emergency while in custody at the facility. In February, Jeremiah Wendt, 40, killed himself in his cell, the sheriff’s office previously said.
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