Overview
- The University of Mississippi on Thursday released the names of the students as Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and Robert Strang, a 20-year-old junior from Atlanta, and the families have asked for privacy.
- The students were found dead in different locations Monday and law enforcement recovered packaged kratom sold from a retail store at both scenes.
- Lafayette County Metro Narcotics and the coroner stressed they have no confirmed information that kratom caused either death and said two state agencies are expediting toxicology testing.
- Local officials urged people to avoid kratom and other unregulated substances out of caution, and the incident has drawn attention to existing bans and federal health warnings about kratom's risks.
- Reporters and commentators warned against drawing causal conclusions before forensic results arrive because past kratom-associated deaths often involved multiple substances, and the university has offered counseling to students and families.