Orlando shooting: US marines under investigation after Snapchat threat against gay bars

Two active-duty US marines are under investigation after a Snapchat photo emerged showing a man in uniform with a rifle and a caption: "Coming to a gay bar near you!" The post appears to be a reference to the mass shooting an LGBT nightclub in Orlando on 12 June that killed 49 people.

The man in the photo is now being investigated by the 1<sup>st Marine Expeditionary Force, spokeswoman Major Staci Reidinger confirmed on 17 June. According to the Guardian, another active-duty marine is also being investigated after he reposted the image with the caption: "Too soon?"

Reidinger said: "We were alerted about it by other marines who were just absolutely upset that this post was out there. We have very high values. We have no tolerance for discrimination of any group. It's been an embarrassment to us as an organisation, and we're getting to the bottom of it."

Reidinger confirmed that the man in the photo is holding a service rifle, typically used by marines during training and in combat. The image of the marine was revealed days after FBI said they were investigating a threatening message published on Craigslist, which had praised the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando.

According to local station KGTV, the message on a San Diego Craigslist page stated: "Orlando was long overdue. Those people were walking diseases, bug chasers, and thank god for AIDS and 9-11 and now Orlando. San Diego you are next."

Thousands of people have been paying tribute to the victims of the massacre on 12 June, which has been referred to as the deadliest mass shooting in modern history. According to gunman Omar Mateen's father, his son had been enraged after seeing two men kissing in Miami some months earlier.