Black Ole Miss students say they immediately confronted classmates who made monkey noises — and one kept doing it

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The black Ole Miss freshman students harassed by white co-eds making racist monkey noises outside their apartment revealed that one of them apologized immediately — but the other refused to stop making the vile gestures.

Jakiyra Metcalf and her roommate Victoria Johnson told CBS Morning News that they were “devastated” when their doorcam showed the three white women making the racist gestures earlier this month.

They immediately ran out to confront the other students, they said — but only Alaina Kunes, who has since left the University of Mississippi over the ordeal, said sorry.

The second girl seen acting like a monkey in the viral video, however, doubled down, the girls claimed.

“She continued to make the gestures after the girl was apologizing. It was like a slap in the face,” Metcalf told CBS Morning News. 

Metcalf said she told the second woman, who they know from living in the apartment complex, that she should not go around acting like that because it’s “very disrespectful.”

Kunes, who issued a public apology for her conduct, told the roommates they “did that to like four doors,” Metcalf said, while stressing that she feels they were the only residence targeted.

Kunes, an 18-year-old Wisconsin native, said she decided to drop out after her family had begun receiving death threats.

“Before the incident on November 6, I never met the women involved and was unaware of their race, however, I recognize my actions were insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful,” Kunes said in a statement through an attorney.

“I would have never intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of color.”

“I have apologized to the women and I pray they will forgive me. I can never truly understand the pain I have caused them and it was never my intention.”

The clip, timestamped Nov. 6 at approximately 8:37 p.m., showed two women walking up to the apartment door — with the first, Kunes, beating her chest and making monkey sounds.

A CBS Mornings Exclusive: The University of Mississippi freshmen who captured the viral video of two white students making monkey gestures and sounds outside their apartment door speak out for the first time. The students and one of their mothers tell @Jerickaduncan how they feel… pic.twitter.com/aOPFbUXwAg

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 11, 2026

A second woman made the same sound toward the camera, while a third walked past.

Kunes is the only one out of the trio that has publicly confirmed her involvement. 

The other two have yet to be publicly identified.

Shawnboda Mead, the vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Mississippi, said the “deeply troubling, hurtful, and unacceptable” incident is being actively investigated.

She said the behavior “does not reflect our university’s values or the kind of community we strive to be every day.”