The mayor of Oxford, Mississippi, has issued a stark warning about kratom as the college town mourns the unexplained deaths of two University of Mississippi students, saying anyone who takes the controversial substance is “rolling the dice on death.”
Mayor Robyn Tannehill spoke out after investigators recovered packaged kratom while examining the deaths of Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20.
The students were found dead in different locations earlier this week. Their deaths have shaken the tight-knit university community and prompted an urgent investigation involving narcotics detectives.
Investigators have not yet identified what caused either death. Tannehill emphasized that autopsy and toxicology findings must be completed before authorities can determine whether kratom—or another substance—was involved.
Even so, the mayor said the tragedy should prompt renewed scrutiny of substances that can be found in smoke shops, convenience stores and gas stations, where some products may pose serious risks.
“To take kratom is really rolling the dice on death,” Tannehill told Fox News on Saturday. “That sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. And so our challenge right now is to make our young people understand the dangers of these drugs.”
Tannehill said Oxford officials have been focused on kratom for years. The city moved to limit its availability after the police chief raised concerns about the substance.
“Our city board passed a law seven years ago prohibiting kratom from being sold in gas stations across our community,” she said. “This is a substance that our police chief identified as dangerous in 2019, and we immediately took action.”
Oxford, Mississippi, Mayor Robyn Tannehill compared taking kratom to “rolling the dice on death” as the community grieves the deaths of two Ole Miss students.
Robert Strang, 20, of Atlanta, was the older of the two students who died.
Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado, was the second student to die in circumstances that remain under investigation.
The mayor also said authorities are continuing to pursue individuals suspected of illegally supplying potentially dangerous substances to young people.
“We are always trying to find the bad actors in our community that are choosing to sell these things to kids,” she said.
Her comments followed a police raid at a smoke shop about a mile from the Ole Miss campus, where two employees were arrested on drug-related charges.
Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, were booked on allegations of possessing Schedule I drugs with the intent to distribute them.
According to Oxford police, agents seized more than 500 units of kratom during the operation, as well as THC cartridges, gummies and other suspected drugs.
Police also said the store’s owner, 40-year-old Amer Alowdi, had previously been indicted on drug-trafficking charges and had since left the country.
Authorities have not connected the arrests or the smoke shop to the deaths of Hamilton and Strang. The investigation into the students’ deaths remains ongoing.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit said “packaged kratom” was found during both death investigations.
Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, were arrested and booked for possession of Schedule 1 drugs with intent to distribute
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Officials said that kratom, pictured here, was found during both investigations into the deaths
Kratom is derived from a Southeast Asian tree and can produce stimulant-like effects at lower doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses.
It is sometimes marketed for energy, pain relief or managing opioid withdrawal.
‘We are awaiting autopsy and toxicology reports, and until those tests are in, it is just, you know, speculation at this point,’ Tannehill said.
Hamilton, a freshman from Colorado, was found inside Stewart Hall on campus. Emergency responders attempted CPR but were unable to save him.
Strang, a junior from Georgia, was discovered at an off-campus house on Van Buren Avenue.
Tannehill said the entire Oxford community was now mourning with them.
‘This tragic loss of these two young men has deeply impacted our community, and my heart is broken for these parents, family and friends and classmates of Robert and Aidan,’ she said.
‘As a mom and a mayor, I take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe place for the students who we’re entrusted with for four to five to six years. Every student on that Ole Miss campus is important to us.’
Tannehill looked to reassure frightened students and parents that the two deaths did not mean Oxford had suddenly become unsafe.
Ole Miss asked for the community ‘not to speculate’ on the circumstances regarding the student’s deaths
The Lyceum, oldest building on the campus of the University of Mississippi on April 12, 2008, in Oxford
‘Oxford is an extremely safe town,’ she said. ‘It’s a place where, as you walk down the street, people still speak to you. It’s a place that takes care of each other.’
She added that substance abuse and dangerous drugs are problems confronting college communities nationwide.
‘The issues we’re dealing with right now are issues that every college campus across the nation is dealing with. It’s not unique to Oxford,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately, the spotlight is on Oxford now because of these two tragic deaths, and if that spotlight can help us save other kids then, you know, that is my prayer.’
Tannehill urged students to look after one another.
‘I just encourage students to take care of each other,’ Tannehill said. ‘Know that our community is rallying around you.’
And she delivered an equally blunt message to anyone illegally supplying drugs in the city.
‘To the bad actors in our community, know that we are looking for you every single day, that we are not going to leave any stone unturned to make sure that we protect our community.’