Third death linked to Minneapolis homeless encampment

Published 7:46 pm Monday, October 1, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS — A woman who was found unconscious in her tent at Minneapolis’ sprawling homeless encampment has died of an apparent drug overdose, marking the third death linked to the site in less than a month.

Fifty-one-year-old Pamela Rivera died Sunday after efforts to revive her with naloxone were unsuccessful. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is still investigating what caused her death.

After Rivera died, the group Natives Against Heroin tore down a tent linked to suspected drug dealers and yelled at them to leave. Group founder James Cross yelled, “You kill our people! You gotta go!”

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Despite outreach efforts, drug use is common at the encampment, which has housed as many as 300 people, mostly Native Americans.

Rivera had eight children and seven grandchildren.