Police investigating deaths of two students at the University of Mississippi

By Cindy Von Quednow, CNN

(CNN) — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two students at the University of Mississippi campus following a rowdy weekend in which the school hosted rival Louisiana State University for a football game.

Investigators said there is no confirmed evidence indicating the deaths are connected, but packaged kratom sold from a retail store – an herbal extract that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects – was found in both investigations, according to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics.

The agency has not confirmed that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in the deaths, but officials asked residents to avoid the extract and “any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source.”

The two students have not been identified by authorities, and the Oxford Police Department has not shared details on their age or gender.

The Lafayette County coroner said autopsies for the victims are in the process of being scheduled, according to CNN affiliate WAPT. One of the students was found dead on campus and the other was found off campus, both where they were living, WAPT reported, citing the coroner. CNN has reached out to the coroner’s office.

“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 at the school, said in a message posted on X.

The university official said the school was aware of “considerable unverified information” on social media and indicated the local coroner’s office has confirmed only two student deaths. School officials are in contact with local and state law enforcement amid the ongoing investigation.

Deaths occurred after busy football weekend

While the circumstances surrounding the students’ deaths are unclear, the deaths occurred after a busy and raucous weekend on campus.

Ole Miss beat LSU and the Mississippi school’s former coach Lane Kiffin during an emotionally charged heated-rivalry game Saturday.

Students and other fans met Kiffin, now the head coach at LSU, with so much enmity, the state’s Department of Public Safety decided to send its special ops team to the football game.

The Oxford Police Department called the weekend a success, saying on X that crowds were “well behaved.”

“We saw tremendous crowds and an incredible amount of energy throughout the weekend,” the police department said in a statement Monday.

Days later, students and parents were scrambling to learn more information after news of the two students’ deaths was released.

Jay Van Dyke, a sophomore at Ole Miss, told CNN affiliate WLOX he was in his biology class when a classmate got a message from a friend that someone had died.

“It is very scary. It is like you can’t even know what you can trust. What is safe to do. You just almost want to stay inside and that is silly,” Van Dyke said.

Kratom poisoning calls spike nationwide

Kratom poisoning calls have spiked more than 1,200% between 2015 and 2025, research from earlier 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. The herb is consumed by at least nearly 2 million Americans, according to a 2024 paper Grundmann coauthored.

The psychoactive herb isn’t federally regulated and thus isn’t “lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food,” according to the US Food and Drug Administration. But in states that haven’t banned kratom, it’s sold at gas stations, smoke shops and convenience, grocery and health food stores in various forms, including powders, loose-leaf teas, capsules, tablets and concentrates. Some states allow people of any age to buy it.

The drug is not illegal statewide in Mississippi, but some cities like Oxford have put in place their own bans against the sale of kratom products, according to the Associated Press.

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 3,434 kratom poisoning reports in the US, a record number, up from only 258 calls in 2015, the research found.

Additionally, 233 people died from kratom use during this time, 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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CNN’s Kristen Rogers contributed to this report.