Police Have to Tell Florida Residents Not to Shoot Hurricane Irma
A Florida sheriff is pleading with citizens not to shoot at Hurricane Irma to "turn it around." This comes after 53,000 people said they were interested in an event called "Shoot at Hurricane Irma" with 25,000 people saying that they will be willing to participate on Saturday evening.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, shooting weapons at the most dangerous Atlantic hurricane to hit the US "will have very dangerous side effects." The sheriff office's tweet also included an article from Yahoo regarding the event.
The event was set up by 22-year-old who said he created the event out of boredom and stress. He was surprised at people's reaction as well as the attention it received.
"The response is a complete and total surprise to me," Edwards said. "I never envisioned this event becoming some kind of crazy idea larger than myself. It has become something a little out of my control."
The post's caption should have been a dead giveaway of the events true nature with Edwards' description read "YO SO THIS GOOFY LOOKING WINDY HEADA** NAMED IRMA SAID THEY PULLING UP ON US, LETS SHOW IRMA THAT WE SHOOT FIRST". The event page also featured graphics showing how to "fire correctly" at the hurricane to ensure that the bullets don't come right back to the shooter.
After some Twitter users questioned the credibility of the original report, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office tweeted an explanation. They clarified that due to a number of people who showed interest in the event, it warranted a response from them.
The event is still active on Facebook with over 1,700 posts discussing the event. At this point, it appears that the comical nature of the event is already apparent to everyone. Nevertheless, with Hurricane Irma being one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes to ever hit the United States, it would be dangerous for people even to venture out of their homes let alone hold a shooting event.