Medical Lake proclaims 36-day 'Gabriel's Challenge' as sheriff warns of rising fentanyl, meth deaths

Mayor Terry Cooper proclaimed a 36-day community awareness campaign called the Gabriel's Challenge for Medical Lake and encouraged residents to “show up” to support people struggling with addiction.

Spokane County Sheriff Justin Lundgren told the council the local overdose crisis has grown sharply in recent years: "Between 2022 and 2024, we've seen drug related calls at the sheriff's office quadruple," he said, adding that naloxone use has increased fivefold and fentanyl-related deaths nearly doubled in that span.

The proclamation, read by Mayor Terry Cooper, cites a renewed federal public health emergency and local statistics tracked by the Spokane Regional Opiate Task Force. Cooper declared the period "between Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, 2025, through Father's Day, Sunday, June 15, 2025" as the Gabriel's Challenge and urged residents to adopt blocks, connect with neighbors, and attend a kickoff event on May 11 at Riverfront Park.

Why it matters: Sheriff Lundgren spoke to council about the scale of recent local fatalities and emergency responses. He said fentanyl and methamphetamine "either individually or collectively, make up 95 percent of the 332 drug-related deaths" recorded last year in the county and that, of those 332 deaths, 272 were related to fentanyl. He also reported the sheriff's office and partner agencies responded to more than 4,000 overdose calls last year — roughly ten overdose responses per day — and nearly 2,200 naloxone administrations.

County and community response: Lundgren described law-enforcement actions, including seizures of pills and kilograms of methamphetamine during 2024, and said deputies remain focused on enforcement alongside other strategies. Resident and organizer Katara Johnson Jones addressed the council and described her son’s death from fentanyl; she urged a nonpartisan, community-based approach and asked residents and institutions to increase intentional presence and support for youth and people in recovery. "Gabriel's Challenge is about showing up, shutting it down, and shifting the culture," she told the council.

What the proclamation does: The mayor’s proclamation is a civic awareness and mobilization statement encouraging voluntary community activities (adopting blocks, increased presence, and local events). It does not create a new law or allocate city funds in the meeting record; the mayor asked community partners to organize and offered the city's moral support.

Discussion and next steps: Council members and staff commended law enforcement and residents doing outreach. The sheriff answered council questions about enforcement of open use and possession (now a misdemeanor) and described the office's continued practice of arresting for possession and open use when deputies encounter it. Several council members and the mayor emphasized follow-up work with regional partners and the role of schools, faith groups and local nonprofits in the campaign.

Ending: The proclamation and public remarks set a locally focused awareness effort in motion; the mayor invited citizens and organizations to participate in the announced kickoff and follow regional reporting on overdose statistics.