The two Ole Miss students who died this week have been identified.
University officials announced that Robert Strang, 20, and Aidan Hamilton, 18, were discovered deceased on Monday after receiving permission from the two families to share the victims’ names. Strang was a junior from Atlanta and Hamilton was a freshman from Colorado.
“We offer heartfelt 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,” Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said.
No official cause of death for the two individuals has been announced at this time. Law enforcement officials are investigating these deaths separately and have said that there is no evidence, at this time, to suggest that they are related. An autopsy and toxicology report are expected to give investigators a clearer look at what happened. A notable similarity in the two deaths, per police, is that packaged, store-bought kratom was found at the scene of both students’ passing.
The rumor mill has dominated social media with unsubstantiated claims. Many online users have claimed that the students died after taking substances laced with cychlorphine, an extremely potent, unregulated synthetic opioid. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves urges the public to avoid speculating about the students’ deaths. Local officials urge the public to dismiss unverified information they see and hear, and to only trust what is being reported by reputable outlets.
“It is a tragic story. We want to pray for the families of the two individuals,” Reeves said. “I believe, as governor, it’s incumbent upon me to only deal in facts. The speculation that’s out there, I don’t think I should address it, other than to say, when the toxicology reports come in, and we have a better idea of exactly what led to these two deaths, I will certainly deal with that.”
Reeves added that the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Narcotics are working with local law enforcement to expedite the release of the autopsies and toxicology reports, but in a way that doesn’t compromise the accuracy of the results.
This is a developing story