Ole Miss Students Found Dead Near Campus

Two University of Mississippi students have been found dead in separate incidents, leaving the Ole Miss community shaken as investigators work to determine what happened.

Authorities have not released the students’ identities or confirmed either cause of death.

However, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics revealed Tuesday that packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was discovered during both investigations.

Investigators stressed that there is currently no evidence proving the deaths are connected — or that kratom or any other substance caused either student’s death.

One of the students died on the Ole Miss campus, while the other died elsewhere in Oxford, Mayor Robyn Tannehill confirmed.

According to Action News 5, emergency crews were sent to Stewart Hall shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, following a report of a possible overdose. Dispatch traffic indicated the student was unresponsive and CPR was already underway when first responders were called.

The Lafayette County Coroner’s Office has confirmed two student deaths, while Ole Miss officials said University Police are not aware of any additional student deaths despite rumors spreading online.

The university said it was “heartbroken” by the deaths and urged students and the public not to spread unverified claims while authorities continue their investigations.

Law enforcement issued a similar warning.

“At this time, we have no confirmed evidence indicating that the two deaths are connected,” Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said in its public statement.

The agency nevertheless urged people, “out of an abundance of caution,” to avoid kratom and other medications or substances that were not prescribed or obtained from a trusted, regulated source.

What is kratom?

Kratom comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree, which is native to Southeast Asia.

Products containing kratom are commonly sold as powders, capsules, extracts, drinks and other formulations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says there are currently no FDA-approved prescription or over-the-counter drugs containing kratom or its known alkaloids.

The FDA has also warned that kratom use has been associated with serious adverse events including seizures, liver toxicity and substance-use disorder. Deaths involving kratom have been reported, although federal regulators note that other drugs were frequently involved and kratom’s precise role was not always clear.

That distinction is especially important in the Ole Miss cases.

Investigators have not said what type of kratom product was recovered, how much was present, whether either student consumed it or whether toxicology testing has detected kratom or any other drug.

Those questions will likely depend on autopsy and toxicology results.

Mississippi has already tightened its rules surrounding kratom.

A state law that took effect July 1, 2025 prohibits the sale of kratom products to anyone under 21 and places restrictions on products containing high concentrations of 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly known as 7-OH.

The Mississippi State Department of Health has separately warned health care providers about kratom and synthetic alkaloid products, noting that certain compounds can act on the same receptors involved with opioids.

The department has advised medical professionals to consider naloxone in suspected severe exposures involving some kratom-related compounds.

Federal regulators have also increased their focus on concentrated 7-OH products.

In July 2026, the Drug Enforcement Administration began the process of temporarily scheduling 7-OH above a proposed concentration threshold, along with several synthetic derivatives. The FDA has warned consumers to avoid concentrated 7-OH products, which it describes as potent opioid products.

Again, authorities have not said whether anything involving 7-OH was recovered in the Ole Miss investigations.

The deaths come only days after Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office held a fentanyl-awareness event at Ole Miss on Sept. 16.

The training was part of the state’s “One Pill Can Kill” initiative and taught students how to recognize a possible overdose and administer naloxone, commonly sold under the brand name Narcan.

Free Narcan is currently available through vending machines on the Ole Miss campus and at Oxford’s downtown parking garage, according to local officials.

Mississippi health officials recommend calling 911 immediately when someone may be experiencing an overdose. The state also has a Good Samaritan law offering certain protections to people who seek emergency help during an overdose.

For now, investigators say the causes of both deaths remain undetermined.

The students’ identities have not been publicly released, and officials have asked the community to allow the coroner and law enforcement to complete their work before drawing conclusions about kratom, drugs or any possible connection between the two cases.