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Honoring Victims

Organizations dedicate boxes with free Narcan to 2 who overdosed

The Narcan boxes are dedicated to individuals, one speaker said, so those victims will "carry on."

Feb 1, 2026 Updated Feb 2, 2026• 5 min read

kkohn

Editor

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ELKO — The tables held flowers, butterfly cutouts, feathers, dreamcatchers and photos of two Elko residents who perished in recent months due to drug overdoses — deaths that could have been prevented if the rescue medication Narcan had been administered quickly enough.

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Community — Members of the Elko community gather for a dedication ceremony of Narcan distribution boxes on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko in honor of two drug overdose victims.

Keith Kohn

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Nonprofit's boxes will provide free Narcan at Elko, tribal sites

ELKO — Just a few weeks ago, a toddler in Winnemucca nearly died after ingesting fentanyl at home. The child was saved by police who used a na…

Keith Kohn

Free Narcan boxes: 5 things to know

1. Free Narcan is now available in Elko.

Staff Report

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Team — Sharon Bachman of NV Support Solutions, from left, Darcy Patterson and Kathie Carstairs, both of Wake Up Nevada, begin a dedicated on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko in honor of two drug overdose victims.

Keith Kohn

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A tabletop memorial honors Shanell Martin and her unborn child with decorations the overdose victim enjoyed, including butterflies, stuffed animals and pink hearts.

Keith Kohn

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Family — Sherry Irons, from left, overdose victim Shanell Martin's grandmother; Tanya Harris, her mother; and Stacey Cooper, father of the victim's unborn child, speak at the dedication ceremony of Narcan distribution boxes on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko.

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Samuel Johnny's mother speaks — Overdose victim Samuel Johnny's mother Annie, left, speaks at the dedication ceremony of Narcan distribution boxes on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko in honor of her son and Shanell Martin, who both overdosed in 2025.

Keith Kohn

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The tabletop memorial for Samuel Johnny included red heards, feathers, dreamcatchers and other items he enjoyed.

Keith Kohn

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Photos: Narcan distribution box dedication ceremony

Samuel Johnny dedication — The Narcan distribution box honoring Samuel Johnny, seen outside LifeQuest Elko, was later moved and is expected to be placed outside the Te-Moak smoke shop on Silver Eagle Road off Ruby Vista Drive.

Keith Kohn

Johnny unveiling — Samuel Johnny's mother Annie prepares to cut the ribbon and unveil the Narcan distribution box honoring her son, who died of an overdose. The dedication ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, was outside LifeQuest Elko.

Keith Kohn

Crowd — About three dozen people gather for the dedication ceremony of two Narcan distribution boxes on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko in honor of drug overdose victims.

Keith Kohn

Shanell Martin dedication — The dedication is painted atop a Narcan distribution box in her honor that will be placed outside LifeQuest Elko.

Keith Kohn

Stacked cartons holding Narcan are on display at the dedication ceremony for distribution boxes on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko in honor of two drug overdose victims.

Keith Kohn

Unopened distribution boxes — The distribution boxes being dedicated on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko in honor of two drug overdose victims remain covered until later in the ceremony.

Keith Kohn

Grandma — Jennifer Cooper, grandmother to the unborn child of drug overdose victim Shanell Martin, speaks about how Narcan could help save lives.

Keith Kohn

Shanell Martin unveiling — Shanell Martin's family, at left, participate in the unveiling of a Narcan distribution box in her honor on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, outside LifeQuest Elko.

Keith Kohn

Wake Up team — Darcy Patterson, left, and Kathie Carstairs of Wake Up Nevada organized the distribution box program in Reno, which now has spread to Elko via the local nonprofit NV Support Solutions.

Keith Kohn

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Keith Kohn is editor of the Elko Daily Free Press. Reach him at kkohn@elkodaily.com.