Campus Alert Archive
CU Boulder

Six Students, One Frat House, and a Police Warning About 'Possibly Tainted' Drugs

COpublic healthadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Six University of Colorado Boulder students were hospitalized after overdosing at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue on the night of December 7, 2024. Officers were called between roughly 10 and 10:30 p.m., several students were treated with Narcan, and Boulder Police initially warned the public about a possibly tainted batch of cocaine before later walking back the tainted-drug claim in favor of extreme alcohol and drug consumption. All six recovered.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
6
Institution
University of Colorado Boulder
Public R1 · CO
~39,000 studentsCU Boulder Alerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTWebsite
Approximate reconstructionCity of Boulder / Boulder Police Department public warning (wording reconstructed)302 chars
The Boulder Police Department is warning the community about a possibly tainted batch of cocaine after six University of Colorado students were hospitalized following a weekend overdose incident. Anyone who may have purchased cocaine recently is urged not to use it and to seek help if they become ill.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The initial public warning came from the Boulder Police Department, not a campus emergency-notification system, because the overdoses involved an unrecognized fraternity at an off-campus house; the wording is reconstructed from the city's published warning and is marked unconfirmed.
Six students were treated, several with the opioid-reversal nasal spray Narcan, which is why early messaging emphasized a possibly tainted batch of cocaine.
Kappa Sigma had not been a recognized CU Boulder chapter for nearly two decades, complicating whether a formal campus timely warning applied.
CORRECTIONWebsite
Approximate reconstructionCity of Boulder / Boulder Police Department update (wording reconstructed)232 chars
Update: Following further investigation, detectives now believe the individuals consumed an extreme amount of alcohol and that some had also used drugs. It does not appear that fentanyl was involved. All six students are recovering.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Boulder Police walked back the tainted-cocaine framing, attributing the illnesses to extreme alcohol consumption plus some drug use and stating fentanyl did not appear to be involved; the wording is reconstructed from that update and is marked unconfirmed.
This is a correction rather than an all-clear: it revised the cause while confirming all six students were recovering.
The reversal is notable because the initial 'possibly tainted cocaine' warning had spread widely before investigators refined their conclusion.
Context

Background

On the night of December 7, 2024, Boulder Police were called to a hospital and to the Kappa Sigma fraternity house at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue after six University of Colorado Boulder students became violently ill. Several were treated with Narcan, and the department's initial public warning raised the possibility of a tainted batch of cocaine. Within days, 9News reported that police had walked back the tainted-drug claim, attributing the illnesses to extreme alcohol consumption and some drug use, with no apparent fentanyl involvement. As Denver7 noted, Kappa Sigma was not a recognized CU Boulder Greek chapter, which shaped how the warning was issued — through the city police department rather than a campus Clery timely warning — while CU Boulder's Division of Student Affairs and counseling offices supported affected students. The case is a clear example of a Greek-life public-health emergency that triggered a community safety advisory rather than a classic crime alert.
Analysis

Key Findings

Six CU Boulder students were hospitalized after overdosing at an unrecognized Kappa Sigma fraternity house; several were treated with Narcan
The first warning came from Boulder Police as a public advisory rather than a campus Clery timely warning, reflecting the off-campus, unrecognized-chapter setting
Police initially flagged a possibly tainted batch of cocaine, then corrected to extreme alcohol consumption plus some drug use with no apparent fentanyl
All six students recovered, and CU Boulder student-support offices assisted those affected
Outcome
Boulder Police later said it did not appear fentanyl was involved and that the students had consumed an extreme amount of alcohol with some drug use. Kappa Sigma was not a recognized CU Boulder chapter. CU Boulder's Division of Student Affairs, CAPS, and the Office of Victim Assistance supported those affected.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    6 University of Colorado students overdose on tainted drugs, Boulder police says - CBS Colorado
    cbsnews.com
  2. Official
    Boulder Police Warn About Possibly Tainted Drugs After Overdoses - City of Boulder
    bouldercolorado.gov
  3. News
    5 men taken to hospital after extreme alcohol consumption at Boulder fraternity - 9News
    9news.com
  4. News
    At least 6 hospitalized in suspected 'tainted' cocaine overdose at Boulder fraternity house - Denver7
    denver7.com
Tags
public-healthoverdosefraternitygreek-lifekappa-sigmanarcancoloradoadvisorydrugs
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion