Marilyn Manson caused outrage after aiming a fake assault rifle at a crowd during a concert in San Bernardino, California, on Sunday, the same day 26 were killed in a church shooting in Texas, Variety reported. San Bernardino was the site of a 2015 terrorist attack that killed 14 people.
Video footage showed Manson pointing the fake gun at the crowd from a wheelchair as he sang, "We Know Where You F***ing Live," Variety reported. The publication said it was Manson's first concern since he injured his leg after a stage prop fell on him in September.
The act was part of the heavy metal Knotfest at Glen Helen Amphitheater in Devore on Sunday, which also featured Rob Zombie and Slipknot's Corey Taylor's Stone Sour, the San Bernardino Sun noted.
"Coming on the eve of a mass shooting at a church in Texas, Manson could have had a bit more tact, but it's Manson," wrote Kelli Skye Fadroski for the San Bernardino Sun. "He has always aimed for the shock value or to be provocative and though some that were in the crowd thought it was 'lame,' the stunt didn't seem to truly bother anyone else, especially with the handful of San Bernardino sheriffs standing on either side of the stage."
While numerous people complained about the stunt on Twitter, Manson issued a statement saying he did not mean to offend, but was just creating art and making a statement about the easy availability of such weapons.
"In an era where mass shootings have become a nearly daily occurrence," Manson wrote, according to Variety. "This was an act of theater in an attempt to make a statement about how easily accessible semi-automatic weapons are and how seeing them has become normalized.
"My art has always been a reaction to popular culture and my way to make people think about the horrible things that happen in this world. My performance was not meant to be disrespectful or show any insensitivity. The prop microphone I used on stage was handed to me with the approval of a police officer. My empathy goes out to anyone who has been affected by the irresponsible and reprehensible misuse of real guns," Manson continued.
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