There’s no better introduction to this post than this tweet:

Nothing in this story makes sense. ? https://t.co/W62QWtybDR — Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) September 4, 2019

Now we’ve heard all sorts of panic at U.S. universities about nooses being hung to frighten and intimidate minorities, and usually, these turn out to be hoaxes or just cases of mistaken identity. One was a shoelace “packaged in a way that someone could perceive them to look similar to a noose.” Another was a lightning cable that broke loose after a tree limb fell on it. The “nooses” found at the University of Delaware after Katie Pavlich’s speech weren’t nooses at all, but actually string and wire hangars for paper lanterns hung from the trees during an earlier event.

But in this latest case, a 19-year-old allegedly found a piece of rope in a residence hall elevator, tied it into a noose, and was arrested and released on $5,000 bond.

Illinois student charged with hate crime after a noose was found hanging in a dorm elevator. https://t.co/yg6KcB2qc1 — NBC News (@NBCNews) September 4, 2019

NBC News (or, more precisely, NBCBLK reports:

A 19-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been charged with a felony hate crime after a noose was found hanging in a residence hall elevator Sunday. Andrew Smith was arrested at about 9:30 p.m. Monday after he was questioned by authorities at his residence hall on College Court in Urbana, the university police said in a statement. He was charged with committing a hate crime, which is a felony, and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. During an arraignment Tuesday afternoon, Champaign County Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Alferink said Smith found some rope in an elevator in Allen Hall over the weekend and tied it into a noose. About 1 a.m. Sunday, staff at Allen Hall found the noose hanging inside an elevator in a public area of the building. A female friend who was with Smith in the elevator Sunday reported him to authorities, Alferink said. Smith pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was released on a $5,000 bond. He requested a trial by jury.

That was a felony hate crime?

I have so many questions. — Kieran Eleison (@KieranEleison) September 4, 2019

Was Jussie Smollett around? — Cathy Wright (@Oldnblonde) September 4, 2019

Charge with a **felony** for "hate crime" for merely tying a noose. — Alt (@alternativepols) September 4, 2019

tying a knot is a hate crime? — Frog Capital? (@FrogNews) September 4, 2019

I was gettin anxious for the evening racism headline. It’s was getting late. — Matt Foley (@SamuelJ73782594) September 4, 2019

Wait – lets unpack this-

He’s a 19 year old kid (yes I know he’s over 18 but I know 18/19/20 year olds they are are still mostly children) –

He FOUND rope and tied a knot …

His “FRIEND” turned him in? For a felony hate crime? How is this an actual thing? — You Got Moxie (@AR_EL_ES_3) September 4, 2019

So is making a rope into a noose a crime now? — Marvin Iavecchia (@M_Iavecchia) September 4, 2019

What was the crime?? — George (@George65777601) September 4, 2019

It was a hate crime, duh.

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