Someone actually paid to leave a noose in the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Y’all, that’s some serious hate. At least, that’s the most logical assumption to make given how tough it is to gain admission into the recently opened beacon of history.

Visitors were the ones who found a noose in the an exhibition on segregation and alerted staff. Investigators then spend three hours looking into the scene and removing the noose before re-opening the exhibit, according to Smithsonian.com. 

“Today’s incident is a painful reminder of the challenges that African-Americans continue to face,” museum Founding Director Lonnie Bunch said in a statement posted on Twitter. “This was a horrible act, but it is a stark reminder of why our work is so important.”

“The Smithsonian family stands together in condemning this act of hatred and intolerance, especially repugnant in a museum that affirms and celebrates the American values of inclusion and diversity,” wrote the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution David Skorton in an Institution-wide email. “We will not be intimidated. Cowardly acts like these will not, for one moment, prevent us from the vital work we do.”

This is the second time a noose has been found in the area in just a week, after an officer found one hanging from a tree on Friday night.