Gun Billboard In Michigan Appearing To Point At Child In Adjacent Ad Removed

In the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Conn. last week, an ad company that is responsible for a shocking roadside display removed one insensitive billboard Friday morning.

A camera crew for television station WZZM in Grand Rapids, Mich. noticed this unfortunate ad campaign on I-96 East near Coopersville, in which the image of a gun on one billboard ad is pointed at a child's photo on the opposing billboard.

The billboard featuring a gun is an advertisement for Muskegon-based weapons dealer Gary's Guns. The image showcasing a child directs travelers to Michigan Harvest Gathering, a nonprofit that collects food for the hungry.

WZZM called Lamar Advertising, the company that rents the billboard space. The ad for the "Harvest Gathering" charity had already expired, and the billboard company said the ads were mounted before the Sandy Hook shootings.

While initial reports said that Lamar Advertising planned to remove the expired ad for Michigan Harvest Gathering, new reports say the billboard for Gary's Guns has been removed. And the billboard display company says they'll work to ensure that similarly head-shaking ad placements don't happen again in the future.