The FBI is assisting a hate crime investigation after a noose was found at a Kalamazoo, Michigan, high school

A hate crime investigation was launched after a noose was found hanging from the press box of a high school football stadium in Michigan.

Security staff at Kalamazoo Central High School discovered the noose Thursday afternoon, according to a news release by the Township of Kalamazoo Police Department.

The incident is being investigated as a hate crime with the assistance of a local field office of the FBI, the police said.

“Since we are still in the early stages of investigating this reprehensible offense, we ask for patience as we review surveillance footage and interview witnesses,” Kalamazoo Police Chief Bryan Ergang said in the release.

Police are collaborating with the school system and other local and state law enforcement partners.

Late last month, the FBI launched an investigation after a noose was found in the locker of a Black firefighter in a suburb of Minneapolis. A noose was also found last month in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway.

Meanwhile, Home Depot has changed its policies on selling rope after a customer reported finding several nooses hanging in a North Carolina store.