Noose Found Backstage At Met Opera, Police Say

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A noose was discovered backstage at the Metropolitan Opera and the NYPD is investigating the incident as a hate crime, an NYPD spokesperson told Patch.

A musician discovered a bathrobe tied to look like a noose around 7 p.m. on Saturday night inside a backstage men's bathroom inside the opera house, an NYPD spokesman said. The noose was discovered directly before a scheduled performance of the opera "Turandot."

The Metropolitan Opera immediately contacted the police, who are investigating the placement of the noose as a hate crime, an NYPD spokesman told Patch.

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“This is a very disturbing incident for the members of our company and, if it was a deliberate act of racial hate, we would like to find out as soon as possible to help guide our next steps," a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Opera told the New York Post.

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