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Three nooses found hanging from a tree outside a University of Delaware performance hall Tuesday night were being investigated as a racial hate crime, university police said.

The nooses were believed to have been placed between dusk and 10 p.m. outside Mitchell Hall, university police said on Facebook.

"We are both saddened and disturbed that this deplorable act has taken place on our campus," University of Delaware President Nancy Targett said in a statement on Facebook.

The incident comes a day after peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrators protested a speech in Mitchell Hall by Fox News commentator and author Katie Pavlich, who has criticized the Black Lives Matter movement.

"This hateful display stands in stark contrast to Monday night's peaceful protest and discussion. We condemn this despicable action and ask everyone in our community to stand together against intolerance and hate," Targett said.

The University of Delaware says three items found hanging from a tree on campus were not nooses, but remnants of paper lanterns left over from an event.

Interim university President Nancy Targett initially announced Wednesday that the discovery of the items hanging in front of a campus building Tuesday night prompted a hate crime investigation. But in a statement posted online around daybreak, Targett says the investigation found that the items weren't instruments of a hate crime, but left over from an event on The Green, a campus open space.

Still, Targett says the incident revealed the campus' sensitivity to the potential issue and shows a need for "continuing dialogue." She invited the community to gather Wednesday afternoon.

The discovery initially sparked an outcry on social media from students and others.

93henfan wrote:Another case of race overreaction. Maybe do some minor investigating before going to the media? They were all set to start a hate crime witchhunt too.
TODAY

Still, Targett says the incident revealed the campus' sensitivity to the potential issue and shows a need for "continuing dialogue." She invited the community to gather Wednesday afternoon.

Ivytalk wrote:I want Dave Roselle back!

AZGrizFan wrote:
What a stupid bitch. It shows no such thing. It shows a bunch of politically correct knee-jerk overreacters who JUMP at the chance to hang someone for this...