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Joe Vesey-Byrne
Sep 10, 2017
(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.
They added:
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:
HT The Independent, Mail Online, BBC Newsbeat
More: 7 alarming facts that suggest Hurricane Irma could be a lot worse than Harvey​
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