Noose found hanging near elementary school in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON -- Authorities say they discovered a noose hanging at a construction site near an elementary school in Washington, D.C., on Thursday evening, CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reports.
Police say the rope, tied in a noose, was found at 5 p.m. near Beers Elementary School. They have not yet identified any suspects in the case, but said an investigation is ongoing.
The project manager told police the noose was not present when workers took the day off for Memorial Day, WUSA-TV reports.
#Breaking: @DCPoliceDept confirm noose found at construction site near @AnneBeersES in #SE. "No suspects at this time" @wusa9 (zoom in) pic.twitter.com/9BOEWrrFXs
— Delia Gonçalves (@deliangoncalves) June 3, 2017
Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to the incident in a statement Saturday: "We are an inclusive city, and we do not tolerate signs of hate, ignorance and fear."
"Our diversity is what makes us stronger, and we will not relent in promoting and defending DC Values," she said. "We do not take these incidents lightly, and we will not accept that signs of hate are signs of our time."
Similar incidents have occurred throughout the city. On Wednesday, a noose was discovered hanging in the "segregation" exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Hate crimes in the U.S. are on the rise, up 6 percent in 25 of the largest cities in 2016, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University. African Americans are the most common target of hate crimes at nearly 30 percent, according to FBI statistics.