Noose found near CIA facility in Virginia: report

An object thought to be a noose has been found outside a secret facility in Virginia used by the CIA, according to The New York Times.

Those familiar with the situation said that CIA Director William Burns shared news of the finding internally last week.

The location involved in the incident is reportedly a small facility in a building that has several businesses. It remains unclear if the object was crafted to be a noose, or if it was intentionally targeting the CIA location, and is not necessarily suspected to have been left by a CIA employee, the Times notes.

“C.I.A. has zero tolerance for actions or symbols of hatred and treats any such incidents with the utmost seriousness,” Susan Miller, a CIA spokeswoman, told the outlet. “Our values and our vital national security mission demand that we uphold nothing less than the highest standards of inclusiveness and safety.”

Several incidents of nooses or noose-like objects have been reported at businesses and organizations across the country in recent years. Recently, Stanford University announced that it was investigating a noose found on campus as a hate crime.

“It is deeply disturbing that someone would choose to inflict this repugnant symbol on our community,” Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said in a May statement.