'Needs To Be Charged With A Hate Crime': Community Activists Say Noose Found At Home Depot Racially Motivated, Not Misunderstanding
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) -- Community activists are not buying the explanation that a noose found hanging in a Home Depot in Delaware was not racially motivated and just a misunderstanding. Two sisters, Lisa and Lyonni Flowers, found the noose in a Home Depot on the 3600 block of Miller Road in Wilmington last week.
Activists and community leaders want a public apology, the customer's name released and a thorough investigation as they prayed for justice outside of the store on Thursday.
Last Friday, the Flowers sisters found a large hangman's noose dangling from the spool it came from.
Delaware State Police said a customer came forward and took responsibility for the noose. The customer says they were shopping for ropes and simply tied the rope because they are currently building a canopy for a customer who requested different types of "rope knots" as decoration. The customer said there was no racial motive behind the noose.
Activists, though, aren't buying it.
"I don't believe that this fella was on a job. If he was, he was on the wrong job doing the wrong thing. We need to know his name. He needs to be made known and he needs to be charged with a hate crime," one activist said.
The sisters say they were disturbed about the response from the store manager.
"He looked. If it was different knots he wouldn't have just pointed that one out so he knew it was wrong, just as well as I did. He cut it down and said, 'What else can I do?'" Lyonni Flowers said.
"No empathy, didn't take our names to pass on to his superior. We have yet to hear from the Home Depot," explained Lisa Flowers.
Their mother, Doris Flowers, who is a longtime native and a retired Delaware state worker, wants to see the store footage.
"We want a public apology as well as a personal apology," she said.
CBS3 reached out to Home Depot about releasing surveillance video. They didn't respond to that, saying they're only investigating.
Community activists say they're willing to boycott the store.
CBS3's Chantee Lans reports.
