The US Army issued a warning about the possibility of mass shootings at upcoming screenings of “Joker,” according to a new report.
In a widely distributed email on Sept. 18 marked “For official use only,” officials reminded service members to “identify two escape routes” and to “run, hide, fight” in the event of a shooting, Gizmodo reported.
“Run if you can,” the message said. “If you’re stuck, hide (also known as ‘sheltering in place’), and stay quiet. If a shooter finds you, fight with whatever you can.”
On Tuesday, the Army confirmed to Gizmodo that it issued the warning in light of social media posts from “incel” extremists that were flagged by the FBI.
The email to service members explained that incels “idolize the Joker character, the violent clown from the Batman series, admiring his depiction as a man who must pretend to be happy, but eventually fights back against bullies.”
An Army spokesperson said the message was routine.
“We want our workforce to be prepared and diligent on personal safety both inside the workplace and out,” the rep said.
In another memo Monday, top officials of the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division said it received “credible” intelligence from law enforcement in Texas about “disturbing and very specific chatter” on the dark web about “the targeting of an unknown movie theater during the release.”