Two active-duty Marines threatened on social media to attack a gay bar just days following the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., the Marine Corps Times reported.
The California-based I Marine Expeditionary Force quickly launched an investigation into a Facebook post that included a photo depicting a corporal holding a rifle with his finger on the trigger.
The photo was captioned, “Coming to a gay bar near you!”
The person who uploaded the photo also posted saying, “Too soon?”
The photo was posted to a closed Facebook group for male Marines called Camp MENdleton resale. The group has more than 25,000 members.
Spokesman for I MEF, 1st Lt. Thomas Gray, believes they have identified the person in the photo and the person who posted it. A I MEF statement says they will take the “appropriate action” in response to the incident.
The statement also reads, “The Marine Corps does not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender or religion… This type of behavior and mindset will not be allowed, and it is not consistent with the core values of honor, courage and commitment that are demonstrated by the vast majority of Marines on a daily basis.”
Michael Moss, the founder of Camp MENdleton resale, assured an LGBT blog that the group does “not tolerate hate speech.”
Moss stated further that the post was deleted soon after it was reported, and the person who posted it was banned from the group.
