Police investigating deaths of two students at the University of Mississippi

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

The age and gender of the students have not been released, and the Oxford Police Department told CNN Tuesday it cannot release any further information beyond the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics statement.

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The deaths occurred after a busy and raucous weekend on campus.

Ole Miss — with the aid of returning player Lane Kiffin — defeated LSU during a football game Saturday.

Students and other fans met Kiffin 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.

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.

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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.

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.

CNN’s Kristen Rogers contributed to this report.

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在密西西比大学与宿敌路易斯安那州立大学进行了一场橄榄球比赛后，该校校园内发生了一起骚乱事件，导致两名学生死亡，当局正在对此展开调查。

调查人员表示，目前尚无确凿证据表明这两起死亡事件有关联，但据拉斐特县都会区缉毒部门称，在两起调查中都发现了从零售店出售的包装好的卡痛——一种可以产生类似阿片类药物和兴奋剂效果的草药提取物。

该机构尚未证实卡痛或其他任何物质是导致死亡的因素，但官员们要求居民避免服用这种提取物以及“任何其他未经处方或未从可信赖的受监管来源获得的药物或物质”。

“对于最近失去两名学生，大学深感悲痛，并向他们的家人、朋友和亲人表示慰问。”该校学生事务副校长肖恩博达·米德博士在X上发布的一条消息中说道。

校方表示，他们注意到社交媒体上存在“大量未经证实的信息”，并指出当地验尸官办公室仅确认了两名学生死亡。目前，校方正与当地和州执法部门保持联系，协助进行调查。

这些学生的年龄和性别尚未公布，牛津警察局周二告诉 CNN，除了拉斐特县都会区缉毒部门的声明外，他们无法发布任何进一步的信息。

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这些死亡事件发生在校园度过了一个繁忙而喧闹的周末之后。

在周六的一场橄榄球比赛中，密西西比大学凭借回归球员莱恩·基芬的出色发挥，击败了路易斯安那州立大学。

学生和其他球迷对基芬充满了敌意，以至于该州公共安全部门决定派出特勤队前往参加这场橄榄球比赛。

牛津警察局称这个周末很成功，并在 X 上表示人群“行为良好”。

“整个周末我们都看到了大量的人群和令人难以置信的活力，”警察局周一在一份声明中表示。

今年早些时候的一项研究发现，2015 年至 2025 年间，有关 Kratom 中毒的求助电话激增超过 1200%。

克拉托姆（Kratom）提取自原产于东南亚的热带树木——帽柱木（Mitragyna speciosa）的叶子。佛罗里达大学药物化学系临床教授、克拉托姆研究专家奥利弗·格伦德曼博士去年告诉CNN，由于克拉托姆与大脑的相互作用，它具有成瘾风险。格伦德曼博士参与撰写的一篇2024年发表的论文显示，至少有近200万美国人服用这种草药。

乔·雷德尔/盖蒂图片社

根据美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）的说法，这种具有精神活性的草药不受联邦监管，因此“不能合法地在美国作为药品、膳食补充剂或传统食品添加剂进行销售”。但在尚未禁止卡痛的州，加油站、烟草店、便利店、杂货店和保健食品店均有售，产品形式多样，包括粉末、散装茶叶、胶囊、片剂和浓缩物。一些州甚至允许任何年龄的人购买卡痛。

克拉托姆中毒的症状包括高血压、呕吐、心脏病发作、震颤、癫痫发作、妄想、幻觉、肝损伤和心率加快（即心动过速）。心动过速会导致心悸、头晕或眩晕、呼吸急促、昏厥和胸痛。

研究发现，去年美国共接到 3434 起克拉托姆中毒报告，创历史新高，而 2015 年仅有 258 起。

此外，在此期间，有233人死于服用卡痛，其中184例死亡还涉及其他物质。大多数卡痛中毒者为20至30岁的男性，但40至59岁人群的中毒人数也显著增加。

该研究的作者表示，研究结果可能反映了克拉托姆的供应量和效力不断增强。

CNN的克里斯汀·罗杰斯对本报道亦有贡献。