US Air Force pulls flyer for Martin Luther King day 'fun shoot': 'It was an honest mistake'

A U.S. Air Force base in Georgia was forced to pull a flyer advertising a Martin Luther King Jr. Day "fun shoot" after public outcry, reports WMAZ.

The flyer -- featuring the face of the civil rights icon -- promoted a noon gathering on Jan. 18 for the Robins Air Force Base Trap and Skeet Club, where participants would get two rounds of shooting and lunch for $20.

Monday, Jan. 18 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- a national day of remembrance of the late Dr. King who was gunned down on April 4, 1968 at a Memphis motel.

An official at the military base’s Outdoor Recreation office said it was created by a marketing team and called it "an honest mistake."

"We’re deeply sorry for any offense or harm caused by our insensitivity and failure to provide appropriate oversight of our marketing process. The flyer does not represent the values, opinions or views of the Department of Defense, the Air Force or Robins Air Force Base leadership and its employees, " the apology stated.

"We realized the inappropriateness of the advertisement several days ago and immediately began removing the flyer. There was no malice of forethought in the flyer’s creation and it was never the base’s intention to portray Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in a negative light, " It continued." It was an honest mistake, to which we’ve personally counseled the parties involved and will provide them with remedial training and appropriate oversight to prevent this sort of inattention from occurring in the future."

While the flyer was withdrawn, there were no indications that the event was cancelled.

Full flyer below, posted to Twitter by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: