Ole Miss interim chancellor releases statement on viral photo

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – A viral picture showing three University of Mississippi students holding guns at the Emmett Till sign is causing controversy.

The university told us Ben LeClere is currently enrolled as a junior. John Lowe also pictured in the image is not enrolled.

The picture was released Thursday by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. That report states The students have apparently been suspended from Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Till was beaten and killed at the age of 14 near the Tallahatchie River. That was in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman.

The sign near the river is full of bullet holes, but there is no proof that the three actually used the guns to shoot at the sign.

The University’s interim chancellor Larry Sparks also sent a statement out to students, staff and the media stating the image is quote “offensive and hurtful.” He also added that the actions of the students does not represent the values of Ole Miss.

UPD did turn the photo over to federal investigators who later told them the image didn’t pose a specific threat and declined to investigate it further.