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(L) Facebook/Screengrab (R) @PascoSheriff/Twitter screengrab
The popularity of a Facebook event asking Florida residents to 'shoot' Hurricane Irma has led police to warn gun owners to please not do that.
On Saturday, The Independent reported on an event on Facebook 'Shoot at Hurricane Irma'.
Picture: Facebook screengrab
Planned for 10 September, the event has 25,000 people 'going' and 53,000 who clicked 'interested'.
According to the event's details:
Let's show Irma that we shoot first.
Irma is a category 4 hurricane, and roughly 6.3 million residents of southern Florida have already been ordered to evacuate.
Although humorous in nature, the popularity has spooked the Pasco County Sheriff's Office enough for them to plead with gun owners not to take part in the event.
To clarify, DO NOT shoot weapons @ #Irma. You won't make it turn around & it will have very dangerous side effects https://t.co/CV4Y9OJknv— Pasco Sheriff (@Pasco Sheriff) 1505012176
They added:
Hey everyone here for shooting guns at hurricanes...how about you RT this, too, and get some volunteers for our she… https://t.co/VZUydIR0a9— Pasco Sheriff (@Pasco Sheriff) 1505017849
The creators of the event Ryon Edwards told BBC Newsbeat that it had been set up out of 'stress and boredom'.
It was never intended to be take seriously.
I never envisioned this event becoming some kind of crazy idea larger than myself. It has become something a little out of my control.
Twitter has reacted to the event with typical jest:
@kairyssdal @PascoSheriff @thegarance Awaiting their response on this one. 😉 https://t.co/JhwjfK4fu8— Andrew Littlefield (@Andrew Littlefield) 1505016983
@FSUAndrew @kairyssdal @thegarance SOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME...— Pasco Sheriff (@Pasco Sheriff) 1505017550
@RahQuarius 46,000 people joined the event, worth the clarification— Pasco Sheriff (@Pasco Sheriff) 1505012426
@PascoSheriff Not the recommended way to shoot the breeze— Lars Plougmann (@Lars Plougmann) 1505018247
@PascoSheriff https://t.co/1IigPSoAct— dobie (@dobie) 1505016070
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