As police probe 2 Ole Miss student deaths, they urge people to avoid herbal extract kratom

OXFORD, Miss. — Authorities are urging people to avoid an herbal extract found during their investigations into the deaths of two students – one on and one off campus – at the University of Mississippi following a rowdy weekend centered on a major football rivalry.

While there is no confirmed evidence the deaths Monday are connected, packaged kratom – an herbal extract that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects – sold from a retail store was found in both probes, according to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, a multiagency law enforcement unit.

Authorities have not confirmed kratom or any other substance contributed to the deaths, but officials asked people to avoid it and "any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source."

The students were found dead at their homes on and off the campus in Oxford, and autopsies are being scheduled, CNN affiliate WAPT reported, citing the Lafayette County coroner, to whom CNN has reached out. Authorities have not released their names, ages or genders.

"The University is heartbroken by the recent loss of two students and extends our condolences to their families, friends and, and loved ones during this difficult time," Dr. Shawnboda Mead, vice chancellor for student affairs, said on X.

The school is aware of "considerable unverified information" on social media and indicated the local coroner's office has confirmed only two student deaths, she said. School officials are in contact with local and state law enforcement amid the ongoing investigation.

The federal government recently cracked down on some potent kratom-related compounds, which in natural and semisynthetic forms have been associated with mild to severe cases of addiction and poisoning. Natural kratom is regulated in at least 22 states and banned in eight.

Kratom is not illegal in Mississippi, though Oxford and other cities have banned sales of related products, The Associated Press has reported. Across some states, it may be sold to people of all ages at gas stations, smoke shops and convenience, grocery and health food stores and in various forms, including powders, loose-leaf teas, capsules, tablets and concentrates.

Deaths occurred after busy weekend

While the circumstances surrounding the Ole Miss students' deaths are unclear, they occurred after a raucous weekend in which Ole Miss beat Louisiana State University, whose head coach is the Mississippi school's recent former coach Lane Kiffin, in an emotional game. Students and other fans met Kiffin with so much enmity, the state's Department of Public Safety sent its special ops team to the game.

The Oxford Police Department early Monday afternoon called crowds "well behaved" and the weekend a success. "We saw tremendous crowds and an incredible amount of energy throughout the weekend," the agency said on X.

Soon, though, students and parents were scrambling to learn more about the students' deaths, which Ole Miss student Raven Tunstall called a "big shock."

"We have so much life ahead of us," Tunstall told WAPT. "College is supposed to be where we grow and make new experiences. It's not supposed to be where our lives end."

Several fraternities and sororities also mourned the loss of the students, placing black ribbons outside of their on-campus homes, CNN affiliate WMC reported.

Olivia Claire Williford, president of the university's Associated Student Body, said the deaths have encouraged students to have conversations about taking care of themselves and looking after their peers.

"This has been difficult for our student body, but I have also seen tremendous compassion, kindness, and support throughout our community," Williford said in an email Wednesday.

Though information about the students' cause of death has not been made public, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves stressed illegal drugs "are a serious problem at colleges and universities throughout the country" in a statement about the deaths.

"Please talk to your children about this situation and the dangers associated with taking illegal drugs," Reeves said. "There has never been a more dangerous time to be a young person in American society."

Mississippi is in the third year of its One Pill Can Kill initiative aimed at reducing overdose deaths, including those related to fentanyl. Just last week, the state attorney general "trained students at The University of Mississippi - Ole Miss on how to administer Narcan and provided students with the tools they need to help save a life in the event of an overdose," the official announced.

The drug is an over-the-counter, nasal spray version of naloxone, a medication that can stop a potentially fatal overdose from opioids.

Kratom poisoning calls spike nationwide

Kratom poisoning calls spiked more than 1,200% between 2015 and 2025, research this year found.

Kratom comes from the leaves of the tropical tree Mitragyna speciosa, native to Southeast Asia. It carries a risk of addiction due to how it interacts with the brain, Dr. Oliver Grundmann, a leading kratom researcher and clinical professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Florida, told CNN last year. At least nearly 2 million Americans consume the herb, according to a 2024 paper Grundmann coauthored.

The psychoactive herb isn't federally regulated and thus isn't "lawfully marketed in the US as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food," according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Signs of kratom poisoning include high blood pressure, vomiting, heart attack, tremors, seizures, delusions, hallucinations, liver damage and an increased heart rate, known as tachycardia. That can cause heart palpitations, dizziness or lightheadedness, shortness of breath, fainting and chest pain.

Last year, there were a record 3,434 kratom poisoning reports in the US, up from only 258 calls in 2015, the research found. In that time, 233 people died from kratom use, with 184 of those deaths also involving other substances.

Most kratom exposures were among men in their 20s and 30s, but there were also significant increases among people ages 40 to 59. The findings may reflect kratom's increasing availability and potency, the authors of the study said.

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