An aide to the California National Guard's top general has been suspended pending an investigation into his connection to a Web site that appeared to advocate mass violence.
The guard placed Senior Airman Travis Gruber, 27, personal assistant to Maj. Gen. William Wade II, on paid administrative leave Wednesday shortly after the Contra Costa Times raised questions about the Web site, Howtokillpeople.com.
Investigators will "look into the content of the Web site and make a determination into whether any of it is a violation of military law and regulations," said guard spokesman Lt. Col. Jon Siepmann.
Despite its name, the Web site does not give instructions on how to kill people. Much of it contained social commentary, vulgar humor, sex jokes and photos of Gruber, including one of him pointing a gun at black people in tribal garb, according to the Times.
The Web site now displays a single page disclaimer stressing that it was intended as an expression of personal opinion and humor.
Gruber said Wednesday in a statement released through Siepmann that he is "sorry if I have misrepresented or left a black mark on the California Military Department. I was under the impression that I was writing anonymously."
In the statement, he added that he does not "condone acts of violence or aggression."