Three Black University of Mississippi freshmen are speaking publicly about an incident involving two white women who were caught on camera making monkey noises and gestures outside their apartment. The students said one woman apologized when they confronted her, while the other continued making the gestures.
Jakiyra Metcalf and Victoria G. Johnson confronted the women after discovering footage from their apartment's Ring doorbell camera. During an interview with CBS Mornings, Johnson recalled the encounter alongside her roommate Kaiyden Caldwell. She said one woman — later identified as Alaina Kunes — apologized, claiming she didn’t know the students lived there, while the other doubled down.
“She continued to make the gestures after the girl was apologizing,” Johnson told CBS. “It was like a slap in the face.”
The second woman seen making gestures in the footage has not been publicly identified.
The incident occurred November 6 and gained widespread attention after Metcalf shared the footage on social media.
The University of Mississippi condemned the behavior in a statement released Sunday (November 8), calling it unacceptable and saying it had contacted the students targeted to offer information, resources and support.
The university also confirmed it had launched an investigation, but noted that federal privacy laws limit what it can disclose about potential disciplinary actions.
Alaina Kunes identified herself in a statement to Action News 5, as one of the women in the footage and issued a public apology on Tuesday (November 10). She described her actions as “insensitive, inappropriate and deeply harmful” and said she had apologized directly to the students.
Kunes also said she and her family had received death threats and experienced harassment since the video circulated. She pledged to cooperate with the university's investigation.
The university confirmed that Kunes is no longer enrolled at Ole Miss. According to CBS, she voluntarily withdrew.
Metcalf, Johnson and Caldwell said they plan to remain at the university.
Johnson said she believed Kunes' decision to withdraw from Ole Miss was a good option for her.
“For her peace and safety, I feel like it was a good option for her,” Johnson said.
Her mother, Chiquita Laó, who also participated in the CBS Mornings interview, weighed in on Kunes' departure, expressing disappointment that the situation had disrupted a young person's college experience.
“These babies, they're 18,” Laó said. “I hate that for the young people. I wish people would be mindful and just think.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.