Police at the University of Delaware (UD) responded to reports of nooses hung on campus after a protest from the Black Lives Matter activist group, but determined the objects were lanterns, not nooses.

UD President Nancy M. Targett released a statement Wednesday addressing the matter, informing the campus community that police found not evidence of a hate crime.

"Thanks to tips from students who responded to our earlier call for information and the investigative work of University of Delaware Police, it has been determined that the three noose-like items found outside Mitchell Hall were not instruments of a hate crime, but the remnants of paper lanterns from an event previously held on The Green," she said in her statement, which was accompanied by a video message.

According to The Wilmington News Journal, Gerti Wilson, a senior at UD, was among the first to see what looked like three nooses hung on the campus, as a friend told her about them Tuesday night.

"I've been called the n-word multiple times," she told the newspaper. "I've dealt with a lot of racial BS at this campus, but never, never in my wildest imagination did I think in my last year here... that in the middle of the night I would run up to a tree with three nooses hanging up there."

Black Lives Matter was at UD the day before to protest Katie Pavlich's speaking event on campus. A commentator for Fox News, Pavlich has been quoted calling Black Lives Matter a "violent hate group."

UD scheduled a gathering on campus for Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET.

"Sensitivity of our campus to this potential issue clearly indicates a need for continuing dialog within our community. I continue to encourage everyone to join me at the gathering scheduled at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon on The Green," Targett said in her statement. "The safety and inclusiveness of our campus are our top priorities, and we will always act quickly and decisively to respond to concerns of our community."