Business & Tech

Newport Marketing Firm's PR Director Fired Over LAX Shooting Tweet

The public relations director for Newport Beach's official marketing firm, Visit Newport Beach, Inc., was fired Monday for a "careless and regrettable tweet," he sent out last week after the deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport, officials reported.

The tweet from Jeff Soto has since been removed from the organization's Twitter handle, @NewportBeach, but NBC news reported the tweet read, "Heading out of town on a weekend getaway via #LAX? Avoid the chaos and make it a beach vacation here in #NewportBeach.” Gary Sherwin, chief executive officer of Visit Newport Beach, said Soto's tweet resulted in his termination on Monday morning.

"We are appalled and dismayed by the lack of empathy and judgment conveyed in this communication – posted without proper knowledge of the situation - in light of the tragic events that transpired at LAX that day," Sherwin said in a released statement. "Our hearts go out to the victims of Friday’s airport shooting, their families, and all who have been affected by this attack."

Paul Anthony Ciancia, who the FBI identified as the LAX gunman, killed TSA agent Gerardo I. Hernandez, shot and injured four others, and caused two others to be injured when he allegedly opened fire at a terminal inside LAX on Friday morning, authorities reported.

In his statement, Sherwin added Visit Newport Beach, Inc. is built on core values, including respect and integrity, saying "This careless and regrettable tweet flies in the face of those values."

Do you think Jeff Soto should have been fired over the tweet he sent out following the deadly shooting at LAX? Tell us in the comments.

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