“NCIS” newbie Maria Bello has earned a mixed response after posting a pic of herself prepping for the show while posing with a large gun.
Bello, who debuted on the long-running CBS procedural last week as Special Agent Jack Sloane, shared a photo to Instagram on Monday of herself with boyfriend Elijah Allan-Blitz. They’re both holding firearms (or replicas), and Bello appears to be brandishing a semi-automatic weapon.
“Agent Jack Sloane and sidekick @elijah_a.b gun training for #ncis Thanks Leon!!!” Bello wrote. Her message references director of NCIS Leon Vance, played by actor Rocky Carroll.
While a number of fans responded with excitement for what Jack Sloane might be up to, other Instagram users criticized the actress for smiling while holding a gun in the wake of this month’s Las Vegas shooting.
“That’s a shameful pic,” one individual wrote. “Always been a fan, but glamorizing assault weapons after Vegas is clumsy at best, callous at worst. One less fan. Good luck with ‘NCIS.’”
“There is nothing sexy about anyone holding a gun,” wrote another fan.
Yet another commenter chimed in with, “Weird timing for posting this.”
Bello’s rep told TheWrap that “Maria was clearly training for her role in ‘NCIS’ and thanking her instructor.”
Check out the Instagram post below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaiBvrJH4Jo/
“NCIS” airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.