Police officers in Annapolis, MD reported a 72-year-old woman was found dead on Wednesday (Nov. 3) on the 600 block of Belle Drive near the Annapolis Walk Community Center. In a press release, issued by the Annapolis Police Department the following day, officers said at approximately 7:30 a.m., they responded to the 600 block of Belle Drive for the report of “an unattended death.” “Preliminary investigation reveals the incident does not appear to be criminal in nature,” the press release reads.

Carl Snowden, a longtime civil rights activist from Annapolis, posted on his Facebook Wednesday (Nov. 3) that the deceased body belonged to an African American woman, which Annapolis police have confirmed. Snowden tells REVOLT that the woman was found hanging from a tree. He says he was able to identify the victim’s race because he was “on the scene as the police took her down.” On Facebook, Snowden reported that Annapolis Ward 4 Alderwoman Sheila M. Finlayson was also “on the scene.”

Backlash pertaining to the incident, Snowden tells REVOLT, will depend on the cause of death. “People are waiting to see what the medical examiner determines the cause of death is, and people will respond accordingly,” he says.

The victim’s identity has not been released by the Department as they await pending confirmation that the extended family has been notified. According to the Capital Gazette, several elementary school students on their way to Mills-Parole Elementary reported seeing the woman’s body outside on Belle Drive.

“While walking to the bus stop this morning, some students may have witnessed a tragic scene involving the death of an adult individual,” Richard Rogers and Casey Hunt, principals of Mills-Parole Elementary and Annapolis Middle School, wrote in a letter to parents obtained by the Capital Gazette.

School officials within Anne Arundel County urged counselors at Mills-Parole Elementary, Annapolis Middle School and Annapolis High School to discuss the situation with students who were impacted by what they saw and to pay attention to their mental wellness.

“While this is a matter outside of school, this situation affects our school community. I know that you join me in keeping those closely affected in your thoughts,” Hunt wrote in the letter. REVOLT has reached out to the Annapolis Police Department and will update this article with any responses we receive.