paul, do police have any idea ai what caused alexia springer's death? >> reporter: shawn this story was born out of this of t press release put out by the fairfax county government andtyv it said that on tuesday, two, young residents had likely lel died of a heroin overdose.n over but as you mentioned, shawn,ha the family is denying thatngha tonight.toght. they're saying that their daughter did not use the drug d heroin and that they say that sa the police were wrong.poce w and now the police are backingai off that and they're trying to t figure out exactly what drughat she may have been using. beeing. outside a centreville home alexia springer shared withred h her family her sister whotewh declined to speak on camera said alexia died of an accidental drug overdose ander was not using her win. heroin. she said she he did not usedot the drug and police were whereew tong say she did. d police aren't sure. they've collected a sample and sent to it a toxicology lab for a positive identification.io just yesterday a press releaserl from the coty said the teen

alexia springer's family says alexia dived an accidental accid overdose but the drug was nothe heroin had originally confirmed heroin w springer was using. police are now saying n say investigators are not suree s what drugs springer may haveave taken. her body was found on tuesday. springer was a 17-year-oldar-o junior at centreville high school. >> ♪ >> with a spike in overdoses ove authorities are very concerneded about heroin, but now anothernor drug is on the scene and this ad one is even more deadly.ea law enforcement is blaming an increase of lethal overdoses ovs on fentanyl.tany it's significantly more powerful than heroin andhan in depending on its fewer are the e it can can be 100 times more potent that morphine.ph >> a friend one last time. t >> this is the club no one wants to belong to.ong . mothers who have lost childrenlt to a drug overdose mostly m heroin cases here. but at least two of these moms m say autopsies revealed it reveae wasn't heroin as they su >> i'm a nurse. i knew it was a a surgical anesthesia but i hadst not heard anything about that t being used in pl

. >> well, shawp, 17-year-old alexia springers is a heartbreaking reminder of impact this drug is having on our community. police confirmed that springer died from complications caused by heroin use. now it's an all-too-familiar traj sdi that is becoming more prevalent each day. we did sit down and speak with clinical psychologist dr. dr. joseph mancusy who says more teens are using heroin than they did a decade ago because it's cheaper than it was back then and it's also more accessible. . >> before we were not that worried about. it let me tell you why. it was not happening here it was happening there. to them now, our kids in our schools and we can't say it's them. so i think what's happening is the sense of i don't belong. >> springer was a junior cente centerville high school. and by most accounts she was looking forward to graduating next year. she was known for her again rossty and outgoing personality and even so, police say she was discovered inside her cente centerville home tuesday morning. now police went to the house after receiveing a report that a woman was dead. springer

. >> reporter: alexia springer was a junior. she morning.r fangs county students had the day off because of the primary. she had a friend spend the night. that friend made the horrific discovery. a grieving family strug r struggles to understand what happened to 17-year-old alexia springer. >> a friend reported her 17- year-old friend was found unresponsive in the morning. >> reporter: rescue crews were called. she was already dead. >> it's suspected that it could be opiate drug. we have to wait for the lag results before we know what it is. >> reporter: police would not say whether the suspected opie cross were pills or anything else but alexi i can't springer's sister said it was definitely not heroin and her sister did not use heroin. she described the death as a tragic accident. >> i think everybody still thinks it won't happen to them. >> reporter: peggy cook, the community service board director of residential treatment says parents need to their teenagers to become addicted to opiates. >> they start with pills that they are getting fr

they confirm that the identity of the student in this case is 17-year-o 17-year-o 17-year-old alexia springer. grieve counselors are here. it's a kal that no parent ever wants to receive, the teen who police say died from complications from dug use. springer was centerville high school. a facebook page has been started in her memory. all of this comes one day after springer was found inside this centerville house tuesday morning. police went to the home after receiving a report that a woman was dead. springer lived here and was reportedly found by a friend who spent the night. we did speak with a student who says springer was beautiful inside and out and he was stunned by her death. >> that's actually really horrible. it just makes you think just drugs in general just aren't worth it. because it's better -- a temporary booze or temporary high isn't worth your whole life. and it's really sad that someone has to lose their life over something like that. >> we're told that the school did have a vigil in springer's memory here at the school last night. grief and crisis counselors will rein i did

this is alexia springer, justgej 17 years old a junior here att centreville high school andscho her body was discovered earlyar tuesday morning inside herid her home by a friend who hadho actually spent the night withht her who then called fairfax county police andicend investigators say that she died from complications off drug use and believe springer sn overdosed on heroin.erdod on her those who knew her are in in shock by the news and they sayyy that she was beautiful insideuld and out, kind hearted generouseu outgoing and we spoke to one to student yesterday who was just j stunned by her death.y hedeath. take a listen.is >> that's actually really horrible.le like it just makes you thinknk like, you know, drugs ings general just aren't worth it,ori you know, 'cause it's better -- 'cause a temporary like, you know, boost or a temporary like high isn't't worth like your whole life, you know, and it's really sadlly that someone has to lose their life over something like that. >> reporter: now, her deatherea is reportedly the second death in the county this week caused by heroin.oi earli

now a family is speaking out after the shocking death of the teenage daughter. 17-year-old alexia springer died after attending a friend's party. police say the centreville high school junior overdosed. jennifer donelan spoke with the young girl's family a short time ago. what happened? jennifer: they are devastated and they don't not want the fact of the loved one's death to overshadow her life. jennifer: powell started to get call at work. the paramedics were at her house. >> they need to come home. i kne happened. jennifer: her middle daughter, 17-year-old alexia found dead in bedroom. >> it happened in the basement, in the bathroom. parents were upstairs. jennifer: springer, the junior was a homecoming princess studying to be a dental hygienist. monday evening she went to a small birthday party at a friend's home and they were told she was drinking and someone gave her a powder which she inhaled. >> she didn't know what she was taking. she wasn't that kind of girl. jennifer: springer came home and texted back and forth with her boyfriend. went to sleep but never woke up. >> she had no

you know, one thing for sure is that alexia springer will be be missed by many, many people..ht here behind me centrevillv high school. school is underway now. filed in, the school tells us u that grief and crisis counselorl will be made available oncee again today for students and faculty.lty 17-year-old alexia springer wasw a junior at centreville highil h school here in clifton, virginii and her body was discoveredd tuesday morning inside her homer by a friend who spent the nightn with her who then called fairfax county police and her number nue fairfax county public schoollich students did not go to school on tuesday due to super tuesday. police believe springer diedprrd from complications from drug usg and investigators tell us that t it's likely alexia overdosed on heroin.in meantime there's just beenust be outpouring of love for alexiaa online and those who knew her kh say she was beautiful inside and out.out. outgoing and her peers were w stunned by her death. take a listen.. >> she was more than involved.ol even if you didn't know her you knew of her. of her. she was

. >> 17-year-old alexia springe springer's death comes as heartbreaking reminder of impact this drug is having across our communities. police confirmed that springer died from complications caused by heroin use. now it's all-too-familiar tragedy that is becoming more prevalent day by day. we sat down and spoke with dr. dr. joseph mc cue ski who says teens are using more heroin nowadays because it's cheaper and more accessible than it was a decade ago. . >> before we were not that worried about. it let me it will you why. because it was not happening here it was happening there. to them. now, our kids, in our schools, and we cannot say it's them. so i think what's happening is sense of "i don't belong." >> september areville high school and by most account looking forward to graduating next year and known for her again rossty and outgoing personality and even sew police say she was discovered inside her cente centerville home tuesday morning and police went to the house after receiveing a report that a woman was dead. springer was reportedly found by a friend who spent the night and n

this is 17-year-old alexia springer, and so many family, fl friends and the fac at centreville high schoolchooave mourning the loss of arnin young life.yo again, she was just 17 yearst y old a-junior here att centreville high school.high sl. on tuesday morning fairfaxai county police say they got theyg report of a woman found dead inside a home.om police say alexia springer'spge' body was discovered by avereby friend who had actually spentlle the night and we're told thatd t she died from complications from drug use and right nowrighw investigators believe she overdosed on heroin.ner those who knew her say she was w beautiful inside and out, kind hearted with an outgoingutin personality and many are just as stunned by her death and her ded death is reportedly the secondhn death caused by a heroin a her overdose this week alone in thie the county.ou and in fairfax county alonene according to government gover sources, deaths from heroin fm overdose have reportedly reporty doubled in recent years and soe the school district says it isat now going to be reviewing its drug prevention program and ed

and if you look on socialon media you can see that tha 17-year-old alexia springer was veryve peers and in fact according todg a student's twitter page pag tomorrow's ice hockey gamekey will be dedicated to alexia she was discovered on tuesday ty morning inside her home by a hoy friend who had spent the night t with her and then calledled fairfax county police and right now investigators saygars she died from complications ofio drug use and they believe that she overdosed on heroin.e we spoke to some studentstude yesterday who knew her andday on they are absolutely stunned byd her death. they say she was beautiful inside and out just generouseneu kind harder person with an a outgoing personality and her and passing has also prompted the pe school system to go back and re-evaluate their drug education curriculum and sadlycc steve and allison alexia's alea' death is not the only one thiset week in fairfax countyount involving a heroin overdomesn os earlier this week arlie 28-year-old man in28-y springfield, virginia was also -- who also overdosedo erdd passed away and so this isy ands def