Alabama musician's shows cancelled after he 'volunteers' on Facebook to 'shoot' immigrants

This story was updated at 7:50 p.m. June 19, 2018 to include quotes from a telephone interview with Phillip McCain and new details about how the backlash to his Facebook post is negatively impacting his life

Birmingham musician Phillip McCain has brought on the wrath of social media users who are upset about an expletive-laced Facebook post he made offering "to shoot" immigrants.

The post, which McCain appears to have taken down but lives on in screenshots spreading swiftly across social media, has even resulted in him being kicked out of his band Buck Wild and three venues canceling solo shows he had scheduled for the coming weeks.

"I'll tell ya what I'll volunteer to shoot their a**es when they approach the border. Problem solved. No more illegal f**ks coming in here. Period," McCain's Facebook post stated.

"I don't give a s**t about them, their kids, their s****y life or asylum. I care about American kids and American families. You've got to be a complete idiot to not get it, but then again we are talking about the libtard agenda. Liberalism is a mental disorder and I'm d**n sure glad that I'm not dumb s**t."

A screenshot of the posting is making the rounds on social media both within Alabama and beyond.

Philip McCain thinks it's okay to harm innocent children. He's a musician https://t.co/0RVSCjNT0w and this is NOT right. This is a threat. #KeepFamiliesTogether #FreeTheChildren pic.twitter.com/fevPoYZxgY -- Rachel Kay Collins (@sweetsereniteee) June 19, 2018

Rachel Kay, a New York woman who helped spread the screenshot via Twitter, told AL.com that she was appalled by McCain's Facebook post.

"When Phillip first stated that he would shoot innocent children/families - I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe my eyes," Kay said Tuesday evening via email.

"I am glad this is getting out - we need to put an end to this hate - and any death threats. I am surprised so many people are supporting him."

It is unclear exactly when McCain posted the comments on Facebook as he says his Facebook account has been deactivated for 30 due to user complaints (he was using a new account Tuesday evening), but the backlash appears to have begun on Monday.

Putu Primanta, restaurant manager at Pablo's Restaurante & Cantina in Birmingham's Shops of Colonnade shopping center, told AL.com via telephone that he canceled McCain's scheduled Tuesday evening show in response to a deluge of social media messages criticizing McCain and calling on Pablo's to nix the performance.

"I'm an immigrant myself, I'm from Indonesia and I work in the Mexican restaurant here, and I'm doing the booking for the restaurant," Primanta said Tuesday afternoon.

"Our clientele is from many different backgrounds and I was afraid it was going to hurt our business. I'm just here trying to make a living and be friends with everybody."

McCain told AL.com via telephone Tuesday evening that the response to his Facebook post is already having a significant negative impact on his life.

"I lost my job in my band Buck Wild, roughly $3,000 [in expected future performance fees], and I've lost three solo gigs already. And that's all for voicing my opinion, and yes, it was harsh, but it was just an opinion," he said.

He added that the Facebook post "was taken out of context. I really just meant that I would protect America's border at any cost. That's what I should have said and now I'm completely screwed."

He did not, however, recant the statement entirely, instead blaming the response on people's unwillingness to listen "the truth" as he defines it.

"I'm not the person I'm being made out to be right now. I'm just an American and I believe in America first, and that's something that people don't want to hear these days," he said. "When people speak the truth, they don't want to hear it these days. And now I've found myself in a s**tstorm, so to speak."

According to a biography posted on McCain's personal website, he recalls that "growing up the son of a southern Baptist preacher I heard a lot of gospel tunes."

The bio goes on to state that he has been in a number of bands including "Diamondback, Hail Mary, Young Geezer, Lords of Porn, 4th and One, Voodoo Jones and Hunting Delilah," and that he has "extensively traveled and played the southeast most all of my adult life."