Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told would-be thieves that law enforcement in the Sunshine State would not tolerate anyone taking advantage of the chaos after Hurricane Idalia, warning: “You loot, we shoot.”
“I would also just remind potential robbers — you never know what you’re dealing with,” DeSantis, 44, said during a press conference Wednesday.
“People have the right to defend their property. This part of Florida, you get a lot of supporters and Second Amendment supporters, and I’ve seen signs in different people’s areas in the past after this disaster, and I would say it’s probably here – ‘You rob, we shoot. ‘”
The governor was responding to reports of people attempting to loot in Steinhatchee, a town of 537 people in Taylor County, Florida, where the Category 3 storm made landfall.
DeSantis called it “absurd” that anyone would attempt a robbery just hours after Idalia’s 125 mph winds and powerful storm surge wreaked havoc on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
“I’ve told all our staff at the state level, you know, you protect people’s property and we will not tolerate any looting after a natural disaster,” added the governor and Republican presidential front-runner.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told would-be thieves that law enforcement would not tolerate anyone taking advantage of the chaos after Hurricane Idalia, warning: “You loot, we shoot.” AP
“You never know what’s behind that door. If you break into someone’s house and you try to rob, they are the ones who will be able to defend themselves and their families,” he added.
“Don’t think about robbing. Don’t even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable situation,” DeSantis said at the time, claiming that some people were “bringing boats” to storm-battered islands and “trying to search people’s homes.”
“I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what might be hiding behind someone’s house, and I wouldn’t want to chance it if I were you, considering we’re a Second Amendment state,” he added, again flashing the “You rob, we shoot” he observed on the board business.
DeSantis called it “absurd” that anyone would attempt a robbery just hours after Idalia’s 125 mph winds and powerful storm surge wreaked havoc on Florida’s Gulf Coast.AP
The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees Steinhatchie, did not respond to a request for comment on the robberies in the area.
DeSantis issued a similar warning last year after Hurricane Ian – the Category 4 storm that made landfall in southwest Florida in September 2022, killing at least 149 people and becoming the costliest storm in state history.
“Don’t think about robbing. Don’t even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable situation,” DeSantis said at the time, claiming that some people were “bringing boats” to storm-battered islands and “trying to search people’s homes.”
“Don’t think about robbing. Don’t even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable state,” DeSantis said at the time, claiming that some people were “bringing boats” to the islands “trying to search people’s homes.”
During the hurricane, 28 people were arrested in Lee County, Florida, on looting-related charges after Iandfall, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
DeSantis has taken a break from the campaign trail to focus on Idalia.
The governor flew back to Tallahassee from Iowa’s first caucus state on Saturday night and has been in the Sunshine State ever since, regularly updating citizens on the path of the storm and the state government’s response.
DeSantis issued a similar warning last year after Hurricane Ian – the Category 4 storm that made landfall in southwest Florida in September 2022, killing at least 149 people and becoming the costliest storm in state history.Noaa/UPI/Shutterstock
It’s unclear when DeSantis, who is trailing former President Donald Trump by about 40 points in national polls, will return to the campaign trail.
“You do what you have to do,” DeSantis said Tuesday when asked how he would focus on Idalia instead of his White House ambitions.
“So that’s what we did. It won’t be any different than what we did during Hurricane Ian. I hope this storm is not as bad as Hurricane Ian, but we will do what we have to do because it is something important.”
During the hurricane, 28 people were arrested in Lee County, Florida, on looting-related charges after Iandfall, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Reuters
DeSantis also noted that when Hurricane Ian hit, “We were in the middle of the gubernatorial campaign. I had all kinds of stuff scheduled, not just in Florida — all over the country we were doing different things.
The governor won a re-election bid against Democrat Charlie Crist in a landslide just weeks after the catastrophic storm.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
