Police in Mississippi said Wednesday they expect autopsy results to be available in the coming days after a Black student was found hanging from a tree on the campus of Delta State University.

Demartravion "Trey" Reed, 21, was found near the pickleball courts on campus Monday, sparking fear and concern among the student body.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Wednesday he has been retained by Reeds family, writing on social media, Trey was a young man full of promise and warmth, deeply loved and respected by all who knew him. His family and the campus community deserve a full, independent investigation to uncover the truth about what happened.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Series Of Hanging Deaths Spark Speculation About Potential Lynchings

At a news conference held Wednesday, university officials said a preliminary report by the local coroner did not indicate foul play. The state medical examiners office was said to be conducting an autopsy Wednesday.

Campus police chief Michael Peeler said Reeds death was an isolated incident and said there were no active threats to students and faculty. The chief said video evidence was being reviewed by investigators, but he would not say what the video shows.

Crump said in a statement posted Wednesday Reeds family was demanding to see the footage.

The universitys president acknowledged the emotional toll of the incident on campus.

We recognize that this is not only about facts. Its about emotions, and its about feelings, and the way this loss, and how it was discovered, affects peoples lives, school president Dan Ennis said Wednesday.

The FBIs Jackson division told Scripps News Thursday it is prepared to investigate if necessary.

"We are aware of the incident in Cleveland, Mississippi, at Delta State University and are in regular contact with local authorities. If, during the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate, the agency said in a statement.

Nearly two years after a member of the U.S. Army Reserve killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, survivors and victims families are suing the federal government.

The Army repeatedly broke its promise to protect the community that it pledges to defend and must be held responsible, said attorney Travis Brennan of Berman & Simmons, one of the attorneys representing 100 survivors and family members of victims.

In October 2023, the shooter, who was hearing voices and in mental decline, opened fire at two establishments a bowling alley and a bar/restaurant before he eventually killed himself.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | Scripps News investigates missed warnings before 18 died in Maine mass shooting

The evidence we have gathered since the shooting is disturbing. The facts show that despite every possible warning raised by Cards behavior, the Army failed at every turn. The Army needs to answer for this. Without accountability what hope can we have of preventing this kind of tragedy from repeating itself? said Brennan.

In the months prior to the shooting, the killers behavior had become increasingly concerning to people who knew him, and he had been treated for psychiatric issues at two hospitals, including Keller Army Community Hospital and a private facility called Four Winds Hospital.

A Scripps News investigation found more than two dozen law enforcement officers including some of the shooters military superiors were aware of his access to firearms and his violent threats ahead of the shooting, but no one followed through with actions to remove the shooters guns from his possession using extreme risk protection order laws.

An independent commission investigating the shooting found members of the shooters military unit failed to undertake necessary steps to reduce the threat he posed to the public.

In a lengthy report, the commission said the shooter's commanding officers were well aware of his auditory hallucinations, increasingly aggressive behavior, collection of guns, and ominous comments about his intentions. Despite their knowledge, they ignored the strong recommendations of [the shooters] Army mental health providers to stay engaged with his care and mak[e] sure that steps are taken to remove weapons from his home.

A separate military investigation also found multiple failures ahead of the shooting, including communication breakdowns.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Military releases investigative findings 9 months after reservist killed 18 people in Maine

If the Army does not accept accountability here, where it knew its soldier had severe mental illness, had access to weapons and was warned in advance that he planned to commit a mass shooting, then its hard to imagine the Army ever accepting accountability without being forced to do so in court, said Benjamin Gideon, an attorney representing the case.

The lawsuit, being filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, claims the shooting was one of the most preventable mass tragedies in American history a mass shooting that could and should have been stopped by the United States Army months before [the shooter] terrorized Maine on October 25, 2023.

Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, spokesperson for the Army, told Scripps News Wednesday morning, As a matter of policy, we do not comment on pending litigation.

Previously, the military has indicated the shooter was not on duty nor under the direct control of the U.S. Army, at the time of the shooting. The militarys overview of its own investigation into the shooting indicated the shooter was a civilian who also happened to be in the U.S. Army Reserve.

The previous military investigation recommended updates to standard operating procedures, retraining, and new policies to better handle the complexities of behavior health care for our USAR soldiers. The report also said, The Army remains committed to working with stakeholders to improve key areas of concern.

Last summer, Patricia Parra decided it was time for her Colorado family to take a vacation, so she went on the hunt for the perfect short-term rental home in the Phoenix area.

She booked an Airbnb with a backyard pool, a waterslide, and yard games, and in July, she set out on a road trip to Arizona with her fianc and their children.

(The rental house) looked kid-friendly, Parra said. The first day was so much fun. We went out to the pool. It was very open.

The swimming pool in the backyard was so open it did not have a fence or cover.

Two days into the family trip, the fun at that pool came to an end.

In the early morning, Parra's son, Prince, 2, slipped out of the home, unnoticed, and into the water, where he drowned.

A medical examiner ruled the drowning an accident.

It just doesnt make sense, Parra cried.

A Phoenix police officer reported the boy had been sleeping on a living room couch in the rental home. Around 5:00 a.m., he woke up a family friend, who was staying at the home, according to the report.

That friend gave the child some pizza and went back to sleep.

When the same family friend woke up later to go swimming, he found the child floating in the pool around 8:00 a.m.

A Scripps News review of autopsy reports, police records, child fatality documents, and lawsuits in Arizona and Florida shows dozens of children like Prince have died or nearly died at vacation homes in recent years after slipping into a backyard pool unnoticed.

A Scripps News investigation found at least 40 children in those two states alone have been involved in drownings or near-drownings at vacation rental homes since 2021. Several of those incidents involved pools that did not have fences, and others occurred at homes with a lack of functioning door and window alarms, according to police records, lawsuits, and other public documents.

In some cases, rental homes were equipped with removable mesh pool fences, which appeared to be open or partially taken down in photos taken by police.

Not every incident reviewed by Scripps News involved a child slipping out of the rental home and falling into a pool. Several of the vacation home drownings occurred while a child was actively playing in the pool area with family members nearby.

Look for a fence and alarms

People say, I watch my children, (but) the level that you need to supervise around water is 10 times higher than it is just in a home, I think, without (water), said Michele Long, the former board president at the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.

In response to news about rental home drownings in recent years, NDPA released a Water Safety Checklist to educate families about important safety mechanisms that might help prevent drownings when they are at an unfamiliar home.

Those include looking for a tall, sturdy pool fence with a self-latching gate as well as audible door and window alarms. Often, local or state jurisdictions may already require these safety devices to be installed at rental homes that have pools.

A fence gives you that extra time," Long said. That Interior barrier is there to help you in case you lose track of a child.

Long said NDPA would be interested in working with short-term rental companies to establish tools that would help consumers decide which homes with pools might be the safest for families with children.

We would love to see them work with us and get that education out there, she said. Whether its a stamp whether its, you know, a scale of this is the safety standards that it meets. Wed be happy to work with them at any time.

In July, Scripps News reached out to several short-term rental companies about our investigation.

When Scripps News reached out to VRBO, a spokesperson asked Scripps News to pass along the contact information for NDPA.

In August, Airbnb declined to participate in an on-camera interview, but days later, it announced a new in-app feature to educate guests on water safety that it had established in partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide. The company said the initiative was set to launch long prior to Scripps News reaching out to Airbnb.

Safety is a consideration for all types of lodging by water, and incidents on Airbnb are extremely rare, an Airbnb spokesperson told Scripps News.

According to the Airbnb website, the feature will offer guests expert tips and example questions to ask their host about the listings water safety protections and considerations.

This new product is designed to help (guests) stay informed and feel better equipped to keep themselves and their loved ones safe around water, said Tara Bunch, the global head of operations for Airbnb.

"The Airbnb moves last week are a huge step forward and the NDPA appreciates their leadership, alongside our partners at Safe Kids Worldwide in creating safer waters, homes and pools, and we hope that other vacation and pool rental services follow their lead. We fully support and hope to be involved with these efforts, said Alissa Magrum, the executive director of NDPA.

A spokesperson for Casago said, Every home we manage must comply with all applicable local, state and federal safety and other applicable regulations before it is listed for rent. Our local market teams guide owners through the required licensing and permitting processes, verify that all documentation is current, and require homeowners to carry appropriate liability insurance.

Out of compliance

Scripps News discovered that some short-term rental homes that are listed on familiar sites are not properly licensed or in proper compliance with local and state ordinances.

According to City of Phoenix records, for example, the home Parra booked did not have a required short-term rental permit on the date of the drowning.

According to records provided by the citys Planning and Development Department, an inspection that took place approximately one month after the drowning found the short-term rental property had non-compliant pool barriers creating an imminent hazard.

The inspector reported posting an unsafe to occupy sticker on the front door of the property, but a few weeks later, the sign had been removed.

In September, the inspector reported that they reposted and took new (sic) picture of sign.

In March, an inspector wrote that they re-posted another unsafe sign, but within minutes, the sign had been removed.

That same month, the city said it issued citations to the responsible parties, and in August, the City of Phoenix Municipal Court issued maximum fines for the violations.

Scripps News reached out to the homeowners via phone and email, but has not yet heard back.

For Patricia Parra, the emotional journey has been difficult, but she said she shared her story with Scripps News to make an impact on other families.

I hope this makes a difference, she said.

Keep (your children) really close. Cherish every moment, she said.