A 10-year Marine Corps veteran based in Southern California was under fire this week after he compared Trayvon Martin and his blackness to his practice targets on the range.

Yep.

Staff Sgt. Suneel Mehta was apparently just finished with target practice last week at a range on base in Twentynine Palms when he tweeted this:

Rifle range all day today. Shooting black all day like George Zimmerman!

Oops.

Someone took note of the tweet and sent it to the Marine Corps Times, calling Mehta …


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… a disgrace to humanity, the American people, the armed services, and the United States Marine Corps.

The Marine covered his tracks, closing his Twitter account. And Mehta apologized, saying to the paper:

It was a distasteful comment that was said. I guess at the time I didn't realize how my one comment would affect so many people negatively, and for that I apologize to everybody.

The Times noted that the paper targets on base are indeed black.

No word on whether or not Mehta will face discipline.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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