Ole Miss Mourns Two Students as Investigators Seek Answers After Rivalry Weekend
OXFORD, Miss. — The University of Mississippi is grieving two students whose deaths this week have left the campus shaken, prompted a far-reaching investigation and reignited conversations about drug safety and overdose prevention at colleges.
The university identified the students Thursday as Aidan Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta. Both died Monday, officials said, after a weekend marked by the noise and emotion of a major football rivalry.
Authorities have not determined what caused the deaths. Kratom, a packaged herbal supplement, was found in both investigations, according to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, a multiagency law enforcement unit. But officials said there is no confirmed evidence yet connecting the deaths to kratom or any other substance. Autopsies are being scheduled, CNN affiliate WAPT reported, citing the Lafayette County coroner.
Officials asked people to avoid kratom and “any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source.”
In a statement, Shawnboda Mead, the university's vice chancellor for student affairs, offered condolences to the families, friends and classmates of Aidan and Robert. “While there are no words that can alleviate the tremendous sorrow they are experiencing, please keep them close in your thoughts and prayers during this time of immense grief,” Mead said.
The university said it had honored requests from both families to delay releasing the students' names until now. Scott Sayres, a spokesperson for the Strang family, shared a statement about Robert's death.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear son, Robert, and are trying to process this unimaginable loss,” the family said, adding that they are “deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of love and prayers.” They asked for “privacy, understanding and compassion” as they grieve.
Robert Strang, one of the University of Mississippi students who died. (Scott Sayres)
Aidan's family remembered him as a promising young man. “Aidan was a bright, wonderful young man who was taken too soon. He is greatly missed,” the family said in a statement released by the university.
Aidan Hamilton, one of the University of Mississippi students who died, is seen in an image posted to Kathie Hamilton's Facebook. (From Kathie Hamilton)
As word spread, students turned to one another for support. Olivia Claire Williford, president of the university's Associated Student Body, said the deaths have encouraged conversations about self-care and looking out for peers.
“This has been difficult for our student body, but I have also seen tremendous compassion, kindness, and support throughout our community,” Williford said in an email Wednesday. “Behind the headlines are students, friends, classmates, and families who are grieving. I hope the nation sees an Ole Miss student body that is supporting one another, encouraging each other, and remaining united during a very difficult time.”
Officials also urged the public to avoid speculation. Mead said inaccurate information was circulating. “We can all help by not repeating information that has not been officially confirmed and by avoiding public speculation about what happened or why, especially as the causes of the two deaths are still under investigation,” she said.
In dispatch audio from Lafayette County Public Safety obtained by CNN, an operator can be heard reporting a possible overdose at Stewart Hall, a residence hall near the center of campus. “They do not believe the subject is breathing. Trying to start CPR,” the dispatcher said.
Strang was a member of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta. The fraternity's national organization called the deaths “a profound tragedy.”
“We encourage the Phi Delta Theta community to keep the Strang family, the Mississippi Alpha Chapter, and everyone affected by these tragic losses in their thoughts,” the fraternity said in a statement. The chapter declined an interview with CNN on Thursday, saying members wanted to honor Robert's memory privately at this time.
Several fraternities and sororities placed black ribbons outside their on-campus homes, WMC reported. Across campus, vending machines that offer free Narcan—an over-the-counter nasal spray version of naloxone used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose—were emptied, according to WMC.
A black ribbon is seen outside a Greek house on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. (WMC)
“It was one of those things where I realized, yes, there's a need for those Narcan dispensers on campus and on the Square,” Eliza Cavness, a senior, told CNN affiliate WLBT.
The losses have put drug use on campus in a stark new light. “We didn't think to come back to such sad news of losing two classmates,” student Raven Tunstall told CNN affiliate WSB. “College is supposed to be where we grow and gain new experiences. It's not supposed to be where our lives end.”
Darryl Harlan, a senior and resident assistant, told the student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, that he has tried to counsel students but sometimes felt helpless. “It's just hard to navigate when you don't know what to tell your residents because they're all scared,” he said.
Ethan Prince told WMC that friends and classmates have begun checking in on one another. “It's been something that's brought us together as a community but it's also something that is very scary and is very real for these people,” he said.
Country singer Gavin Adcock postponed his show at Ole Miss because of the deaths, announcing the decision Thursday on Instagram. “It doesn't feel right for us to come play our show this weekend,” Adcock said.
State officials are also responding. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said the Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Narcotics are working with local law enforcement to “expedite toxicology reports” and assist with the investigation.
Reeves stressed that illegal drugs “are a serious problem at colleges and universities throughout the country.” He urged parents to talk with their children. “Please talk to your children about this situation and the dangers associated with taking illegal drugs,” he said. “There has never been a more dangerous time to be a young person in American society.”
Mississippi is in the third year of its One Pill Can Kill initiative, aimed at reducing overdose deaths, including those tied to fentanyl. Last week, the state attorney general announced that officials had trained students at Ole Miss on how to administer Narcan and provided them with tools to help save a life during an overdose.
Kratom, which comes from the leaves of the tropical tree Mitragyna speciosa, is native to Southeast Asia. It can produce both stimulant and sedative effects and has opioid-like properties. The federal government recently cracked down on some potent kratom-related compounds, which in natural and semisynthetic forms have been associated with mild to severe addiction and poisoning. Natural kratom is regulated in at least 22 states and banned in eight.
Kratom leaves on sale at a market in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 17, 2021. (Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images/File)
Kratom is not illegal in Mississippi, though Oxford and other cities have banned sales of related products, The Associated Press reported. In some states, it may be sold to people of all ages at gas stations, smoke shops, convenience stores, grocery stores and health food stores in forms including powders, loose-leaf teas, capsules, tablets and concentrates.
In Lafayette County, the use, purchase, possession, distribution and sale of kratom products has been illegal since 2021. The Board of Supervisors reminded residents of that ban Wednesday.
As investigators await toxicology results, the campus remains focused on grief, support and prevention. The university said it is in contact with local and state law enforcement. For students and families, the coming days will be about processing a loss that has already changed the tone of a campus that only days earlier was consumed by a football weekend.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Kristen Rogers, Isabel Rosales, Avni Trivedi, Christine Sever, Leah Thomeer, Jillian Sykes and Dalia Faheid contributed to this report.
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