OXFORD, Miss. (WMC) - Two University of Mississippi students have died, the Lafayette County coroner confirmed to Action News 5 on Tuesday.

According to narcotics investigators, law enforcement is handling the cases as two separate death investigations. At this time, officials have no confirmed evidence linking the two deaths, nor do they have confirmation that kratom or any other substance contributed to either death. At this time, it remains unclear how either student died, the university told Action News 5.

EN ESPAÑOL | Dos estudiantes universitarios son encontrados muertos; investigación en curso

Dispatch confirms emergency on campus

According to a Lafayette County dispatch recording obtained by Action News 5, public safety officials were dispatched to Stewart Hall on the Ole Miss campus just after 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, for a report of a “possible overdose.” First responders were told the individual was unresponsive and that CPR was actively in progress.

Action News 5 has reached out to the university, campus police, and local law enforcement agencies for further details.

Kratom found

Packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was discovered during investigations into the deaths, according to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit.

A main component of kratom was found in the system of Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke and Memphis native and Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith after their overdose deaths this year.

Kratom is marketed to help with pain and anxiety, but medical professionals say it mimics hard drugs like heroin and oxycodone.

Kratom is not FDA approved, meaning it is sold without regulation--something that has worried experts for more than a decade.

“There’s the possibility of contamination, alteration, so we really don’t know what we’re putting in our system and especially when it’s sold without any clear proof that it’s being monitored,” Dr. Evelyn Benitez said.

Kratom was made illegal this summer in Tennessee and had already been banned in Arkansas.

The drug isn’t illegal statewide in Mississippi, but cities like Oxford put in place its own ban years ago.

University responds

The University of Mississippi released the following statement to Action News 5:

“The University is heartbroken by the recent loss of two students and extends our condolences to their families, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.

We are aware that considerable unverified information is circulating on social media and in the community regarding these recent student deaths. The Coroner’s Office has confirmed two student deaths, and University Police are not aware of any additional student deaths. University Police remain in contact with local and state law enforcement, and the causes of the two deaths are still under investigation.

We encourage our community not to speculate about the circumstances or repeat information that has not been officially confirmed. We appreciate your understanding and support for our campus community during this difficult time.”

The university urged students in need of support to contact campus resources:

• University Counseling Center
• UMatter: Student Support & Advocacy

Students react

Jay Van Dyke, a sophomore at Ole Miss, first heard something was wrong in his biology class when a classmate got a message from a friend that someone had died in their dorm.

It was all hearsay, with students and parents scrambling to figure out what was real and what was rumor. For Jay, and many students, that was the worst part.

“It is very scary. It is like you can’t even know a what you can trust. What is safe to do. You just almost want to stay inside and that is silly,” Van Dyke said.

Gabe Evans said he first heard about this at 10:30 Tuesday morning, and when he went on social media to learn he was met with frustrated parents, speculation, and scared students.

“The reality is that we live in a time where students have to be extremely cautious of what they are consuming and who they are taking it from.”

Overdose prevention on campus

Just last week, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch posted to social media, stating her office has “trained students at The University of Mississippi - Ole Miss on how to administer Narcan and provided students with the tools they need to help save a life in the event of an overdose.”

On Tuesday, Fitch’s office provided a statement following the deaths:

“One Pill Can Kill is not just a slogan. It’s a fact. It is why we have worked so hard with universities to raise awareness about fake pills, to spread Narcan as far and wide as possible, and to train students on what to do if someone is overdosing. We have reached out to our partners, including the Magee Center and HarborPath, to surge the resources and information needed to stop these tragic deaths. Our prayers are with the families and friends already impacted.”

In July, the City of Oxford installed a Narcan vending machine to expand life-saving resources and to offer recover support.

Since installation, the machine has dispensed 865 products--550 of those Narcan and 147 fentanyl test strips.

Since Thursday, people have pulled Narcan 80 times and fentanyl test strips 24 times.

Jared Foster, owner of The Velvet Ditch in downtown Oxford, said he’s stocking free Narcan, fentanyl test strips, and CPR mouth barriers in vending machines inside his restaurant and its women’s restroom.

Foster expects 30 more boxes of supplies Thursday. He calls it his mission to keep Oxford’s students and everyone else safe.

A new dangerous synthetic opioid

While its unclear what killed the students, one drug that’s seen a recent surge is cychlrophine. It’s highly lethal and does not show up on fentanyl test strips.

Dr. Lucas Trautman is the medical director for the Oxford Treatment Center. He says its important for parents and students to know that there is no safe illicit drug, period.

“They’re creating new synthetic opioids to put in the supply instead of fentanyl, and cychlorphine is the newest and most dangerous,” Dr. Trautman said. “Just like heroin or fentanyl, it’s 10 times more potent than fentanyl. So a grain of sand will kill you. So that’s why we are seeing a lot of respiratory depression deaths nationally.”

Dr. Troutman says there are no tests for cychlorphine. He says he and his staff are seeing a new synthetic opioid about once every other a month.

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