Ole Miss students ‘devastated’ by racist monkey gestures and noises captured on door camera

One of the women caught on camera making monkey noises and gestures at the apartment door of three Black Ole Miss students doubled down when confronted at the time, a woman who lives in the home told “CBS Morning.”

The video shows three women, who appear to be white, walking by the front door of the off-campus apartment where the three Black students live Friday. One is seen beating her chest. She and the second woman are seen and heard making ape noises. The third woman in the video walks by the door without stopping.

Jakiyra Metcalf and Victoria Johnson live in the apartment, and Metcalf said she and Johnson went outside to confront the women shortly after seeing the video on their doorbell.

Johnson said in Wednesday’s “CBS Morning” interview that one of the women, later identified as Alaina Kunes, 18, apologized when they stepped outside to speak with her. Kunes told her and Metcalf they had done the same at four doors, adding, “We didn’t mean any harm,” Johnson said, adding that she did not see them target any other doors.

However, Johnson said the second woman, who has not been identified and has not commented on the incident, doubled down when confronted.

“She continued to make the gestures after the girl was apologizing. It was like a slap in the face,” Johnson told CBS.

Kunes apologized Tuesday for the racist gestures, saying she recognized her actions “were insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful.” She also said she was “unaware” of the women’s race until the video gained national attention and said she hoped for the apartment residents’ forgiveness.

The three women living in the apartment told CBS that they were left “hurt and devastated” by the racist mockery and that it was “very disheartening.”

Asked whether they could forgive Kunes, Metcalf said that whether or not Kunes knew her and her roommates’ race, the gesture and noises were “very disrespectful.”

“I just have mixed feelings about it,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf’s roommate Kaiyden Caldwell said she appreciates the apology, “but I feel like it still doesn’t change what happened on that Friday because it’s still hurtful and it’s still devastating that someone would come to our camera and do that.”

Kunes has withdrawn from the university, a source close to her told NBC News. The status of the other women is unknown.

After the incident, Johnson said she wants people “to be mindful of their actions” and for others in similar situations to speak out instead of sweeping things under the rug.

“This is a reality for us and I feel like voices need to be heard,” she said.

Mississippi University said in an email to students Sunday that it has launched an investigation.