OXFORD, Miss. — “My first thought was this is a hate crime. It’s put here for a reason and it was strategically put there for a reason,” said MeKala Mcneil.

She said the Nazi symbol historically associated with hate was the first thing that she saw when she stepped onto a dorm elevator at University of Mississippi on Thursday.

“These are tough times for people who are black, people of color, Muslim, LGBTQ these are tough times for us,” added Mcneil. “The day after election we both decided not to come to campus because we were afraid.”

Mcneil’s boyfriend Allen Coon also saw the symbol and he believes the action is directly tied to America’s response to the presidential election.

“You can see around the country how people have been responding with threats of violence against minorities.”

The couple reported the sighting to Ole Miss right away.

“They need to acknowledge that there is a culture of white supremacy on our campus and the need to be honest about what that means and how we address it,” said Coon.

Late Friday afternoon, Ole Miss responded saying “Following a review of surveillance footage, police have identified a potential suspect.”

The statement went on to say, “We do not condone acts of bias and intolerance. This racist, anti-semitic symbol has no place at UM. The student possibly responsible has been referred to the Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct and could face disciplinary action.”