Marilyn Manson Pretends to ‘Shoot’ Audience in San Bernardino Concert

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Marilyn Manson, the singer, went on stage in San Bernardino, Calif.---the same city where 14 people were shot and killed in December 2015---and pretended to shoot the audience on Sunday night.

Sunday, Nov. 5, is also the same day a gunman stormed a church in Texas, killing at least 26 people and wounding dozens.

Manson was in a wheelchair due to a leg injury and carried a fake firearm. He pointed it at the crowd during the song, “We Know Where You [expletive] Live,” TMZ reported.

He moved the fake firearm around, pointing at different areas of the audience.

After facing considerable backlash for the move, Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, issued a statement, saying he’s not backing down for his decision.

It’s an “act of theater,” he stated. “My empathy goes out to anyone who has been affected by the irresponsible and reprehensible misuse of REAL guns,” he wrote.

“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,” the singer said to Pitchfork.

According to photos taken at the concert, the fake gun had a microphone attached to it.

Earlier in 2017, Manson blamed the school shootings in Columbine in 1999 for a decline in record sales.

“Certain people blame me for the shootings at schools — I think my numbers are low, and hopefully they go up on (my upcoming) record,” said Manson, reported the New York Daily News. “But, honestly, the Columbine era destroyed my entire career at the time.”

Last month, Manson was crushed by a fake gun prop at a concert and was hospitalized.