California mayor: Nooses found in city park, origin unclear

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The mayor of Oakland says several nooses were found hanging on trees a city park and are being investigated as hate crimes.

Mayor Libby Schaaf says in a statement that the nooses were found Tuesday evening on trees around Oakland’s Lake Merritt and were removed. She did not say how many were discovered, where precisely they were discovered or give any other details.

Schaaf said in her statement that the nooses might have been part of exercise equipment, but that does “not remove nor excuse their tortuous and terrorizing effects.”

The Oakland Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.