Black woman and her biracial granddaughter receive package with n-word on outside and a black Barbie doll inside

A Missouri woman says she received this package in her mailbox (Fox 4 News)

A Missouri woman has discovered a package with a racial epithet on it and a black Barbie doll inside at the home she shares with her 7-year-old, biracial granddaughter.

“I flipped it over, and the first thing I saw was ‘n*****’,” Linda Gibbs, of Independence, Missouri, told Fox 4 News of the package.

Ms Gibbs, a 62-year-old Kansas City native, said she usually asks her granddaughter to pick up the mail because of her knee pain. But on Tuesday, something told her to check the mailbox herself.

"I'm still thinking it could have been my grandbaby," she told the Kansas City Star. "That's what tore me up inside. She could have gotten that out there."

Ms Gibbs and her granddaughter moved to the Independence in February, when a deacon at her church offered her the home as a rental in which to raise the child. Ms Gibbs said she did not know anyone in the area.

Police and FBI officials responded to the scene with a bomb squad, according to local news station KSHB. Authorities used a robot to retrieve the package and scan its contents for explosives. They eventually determined it was not a threat.

The package came wrapped in red and white Christmas wrapping paper, with derogatory notes taped to the outside. Authorities said the package contained a black Barbie doll, according to Ms Gibbs.

Police suspected the perpetrator of staking out her home beforehand, Ms Gibbs added. She said they believe it was a hate crime perpetrated by an adult.

The Independence Police referred all questions on the incident to the FBI. Erin Curtis, a spokesperson for the bureau, told The Independent that the FBI had opened a civil rights investigation into the matter, but declined to comment further.

The incident comes after a series of package bombs were delivered to families around Austin, Texas. Two of the three victims were black, and one was Latino. Police have not determined whether the bombings were hate crimes, but have warned residents to report any suspicious packages they receive.

Ms Gibbs said her granddaughter, whose mother is black and father is white, was too young to understand the significance of the package. But she has discussed the issue of race with her granddaughter multiple times.

“I told her sometime people are ignorant," Ms Gibbs told the Star. "But you look around, it's diverse. Lots of caramel people like you. No need to be ashamed of your skin color."