The Pace University community is shocked over a controversial picture of one of the school's sports stars.

Some African-American students at the university say they received a photo of the captain of the football team over the popular social media app Snapchat. They anonymously shared the photo with News 12.

The photo appears to show senior Tyler Owens dressed in a Confederate flag, making a "Heil Hitler" gesture and referring to himself as the "grand wizard," an apparent Ku Klux Klan reference.

University officials say that the photo is believed to have been taken in Myrtle Beach three years ago.

A statement from the university says it does not tolerate actions that create a hostile environment or are offensive to groups of people or individuals.

There is no word on whether Owens will be disciplined.

Pace University tells News 12 an internal investigation will begin immediately.