Woman apologizes for making racist gestures outside Ole Miss students’ apartment

One of the two young women seen on a viral video making racist gestures outside the apartment of three Black Ole Miss students apologized for her actions.

Alaina Kunes, 18, said in a statement Tuesday that she did not know the people who lived in the apartment and was “unaware of their race” until the Ring doorbell camera video that captured the moment Friday gained national attention.

The video shows Kunes and two other women walking by the front door of the off-campus apartment where the three Black Ole Miss students live. Kunes is seen beating her chest. She and a second women, who has not been identified and has not commented on the incident, make ape noises. A third woman in the video just walks by without stopping at the door.

“To the women I offended and to the Ole Miss community, I sincerely apologize,” Kunes said in her statement. “I recognize my actions were insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful.”

Kunes said she apologized to the women who live in the apartment directly. “I pray they will forgive me,” she said.

“I can never truly understand the pain I have caused them and it was never my intention. These girls deserve to feel seen and understood and what I did is not a reflection of who I am trying to become,” Kunes said.

The University of Mississippi launched an investigation into the incident, Shawnboda Mead, the school’s vice chancellor for student affairs, said in an email sent to the campus Sunday.

In it, Mead described the viral video as “showing University of Mississippi students engaging in racist gestures directed toward other students.”

Kunes has since withdrawn from the university, a source close to the 18-year-old told NBC News. It’s unclear what the enrollment status is of the other women in the video.

The University of Mississippi did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Tasha Bolton, the mother of one of the three Black Ole Miss students, wrote about the incident in a Facebook post Saturday. Bolton said her daughter is a freshman at the university and lives in the off-campus apartment with two Black roommates. She described the women filmed on the doorbell camera as her daughter’s upstairs neighbors.

“This is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. College is supposed to be a place where young adults can learn, grow, and feel safe,” Bolton said about the video in her post. “We want answers. Specifically, what steps will be taken to address this behavior and ensure accountability?”

Kunes said she intends to fully cooperate with the university’s investigation.

“I would have never intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of color,” she said in her statement apologizing for the incident. “I understand the seriousness of this situation and remain committed to taking responsibility and learning from this embarrassing ordeal.”

Kunes also requested privacy for herself and her family and alleged that they have been harassed over the past several days and received death threats.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi is also looking into complaints it has received about the incident, Candi Richardson, the organization’s director of communications and community engagement, said Monday.