Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a warning to looters after Hurricane Idalia hit the Sunshine State. During a press conference in Perry, Florida, DeSantis said:
“There are reports of people trying to loot down in Steinhatchee and I’ve told all of our personnel at the state level, you know, you protect people’s property and we are not gonna tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
“I mean, it’s just ridiculous that you would try to do something like that on the heels of an almost Category 4 hurricane hitting this community.
“I’d also just remind potential looters that people, you never know what you’re walking into.
“People have a right to defend their property.
“This part of Florida, you got a lot of advocates and some proponents of the Second Amendment, and I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters, and I would say it’s probably here, you loot, we shoot.
“You never know what’s behind that door if you go break into somebody’s house and you’re trying to loot, these are people that are going to be able to defend themselves and their families, so I would not do it.
“We are going to hold you accountable from a law enforcement perspective at a minimum and it could even be worse than that depending on what’s behind that door.
“So let’s all band together and lift people up and not try to take advantage of a difficult situation.”
“@GovRonDeSantis, he’s been hard at work. That’s what leaders do in times of crisis.”
Governor DeSantis joined @seanhannity to discuss Florida’s response to Hurricane Idalia. pic.twitter.com/edZlQ5Fsxo
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) August 31, 2023
CEDAR KEY, FL: Buildings near the Gulf of Mexico are heavily damaged from Hurricane Idalia’s storm surge.
Gov. DeSantis is on his way to the area to provide an update on the state’s efforts. pic.twitter.com/veo6lvw9Of
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) August 31, 2023
