Halloween venue in Columbus hosts 'Swastika Saturday' on day of shooting

COLUMBUS (AP) — A Halloween venue in Ohio that held a "Swastika Saturday" the day a gunman opened fire at a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh killing 11 said "we screwed up big time."

Haunted Hoochie in Pataskala put out a Facebook promotional post that day referring to "Swastika Saturday." The owner says it's the traditional last day of the season when some actors paint swastikas on themselves.

Some on social media accused the haunted house attraction of anti-Semitism and Nazism.

Haunted Hoochie said in a post Sunday the attraction shows the "horrors of the world." But owner Tim May said today his posts were mistakenly taken to mean he was defending "horrible deplorables."

He later issued a statement saying "we screwed up big time," pledging $50,000 to the synagogue and extending condolences to families affected by the shooting.