Overview
- Officials confirmed two University of Mississippi students were found dead over the weekend and discovered Monday in separate locations, one on campus and one at an off‑campus residence.
- Lafayette County Metro Narcotics and other agencies reported packaged kratom sold at retail was recovered at both scenes but said there is no confirmed evidence that kratom or any other substance caused the deaths.
- The Lafayette County Coroner’s Office is scheduling autopsies and toxicology tests to identify causes of death and investigators asked the public to await official results.
- Local, state and federal partners are working with university police on two separate death investigations and authorities have made free naloxone (Narcan) available on campus as a precaution.
- University leaders expressed condolences, warned against spreading unverified social media reports, and public health experts note kratom is unregulated, can have opioid‑ and stimulant‑like effects, and has been linked to hospitalizations mostly when mixed with other substances.