Snapchat video shows group of white students posting a noose and saying ‘die motherf***er’



A racist death threat video posted on Snapchat by a California catholic high school has led to the suspension of an unspecified number of students involved and the launching of a subsequent hate crime investigation probing the possibility of related charges.

In the video, one student is seen holding a noose over his head and saying “You must die, motherf***er” as his friends laugh. The video then cuts to a gun being fired.

As first reported by Modesto Bee, the mother of the victim, Tanya Porter, first contacted administrators at Central Catholic High after seeing the 12-second video mentioning her son’s name.

The student has been suspended, along with others involved in the video, and Modesto police are now opening up a hate crime investigation. The family will meet with detectives, school officials, and church personnel Friday morning, and in the afternoon will attend a special meeting called by Advocates for Justice, a local youth mentoring group formed in the community for young black students.

Jacq Wilson, an attorney working the Porter family, said he has had a number of calls and emails saying the video was “just a joke”

“When has bullying ever been a joke?” said Wilson “When has a death threat ever been a joke? Right now, with everything going on (nationally), what were they waiting for, for someone to die? The fact is that people are hurt. People are scared.”

For their part, Central Catholic High is taking the video very seriously, with President Jim Pecchenino saying in a statement Thursday, “Students involved in that video have been suspended. They are not on our campus. We’ll follow our process for discipline. The whole video is despicable, every part of it. The noose, the gun going off, it’s just unconscionable to view. It’s very unsettling.”

No arrests have been made as of Friday morning, but Modesto police Capt. Brian Findlen said that detectives will continue to interview witnesses and have been in contact with the victim and his family.

On a personal note, Injustice.in is looking forward to the predictable after-statement issued by the white students involved, where they will surely shed a few tears, express their “deepest regret over their behavior,” assure the public that they’re “not racist,” and likely throw in the ever-popular “I have tons of black friends,'” rationale we have grown accustomed to seeing in the aftermath of related events.