ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

A Group Of Florida Gun Owners Plan To Shoot At Hurricane Irma

A Group Of Florida Gun Owners Plan To Shoot At Hurricane Irma

A Facebook group was set up by a 22-year-old resident.

Mark McGowan

Mark McGowan

An American man who started a campaign to shoot guns at Hurricane Irma has found himself at the centre of a social media storm.

22-year old Florida resident Ryon Edwards began his campaign last Saturday, when the hurricane was nascent in the Atlantic Ocean, and it has subsequently grown, with 22,000 people clicking attending and 49,000 declaring an interest.

"A combination of stress and boredom made me start the event," founder Ryon Edwards told the the BBC.

"The response is a complete and total surprise to me. I never envisioned this event becoming some kind of crazy idea larger than myself. It has become something a little out of my control."

A few social media users have called into question the sense of firing a bullet at a storm, but some have been speculating on the efficacy of shooting at the eye - where the bullets might come back - as opposed to the rainbands, where they would go straight into the heart of the hurricane.

Others have used the Facebook event to express a tongue-in-cheek solidarity with the affected.

Credit: PA

One man posted "Some of us aren't going to be here this time next week, some of us will lose homes, businesses, friends and family. But nothing in the world can break the spirit of Florida, not even this windy head ass bitch."

He continued "Stay strong, shooters. Remember lieutenant Dan and his courage in the face of the storm, and emulate him with all your heart."

Credit: PA

Hurricane Irma is likely to make landfall in the United States at some point on Sunday morning and has been described as the worst storm to hit the Florida region since Wilma in 2006.

The governor of Florida, Rick Scott, has ordered 5.6 million people to evacuate the state while another 540,000 are to be evacuated from coastal areas of Georgia.

The hurricane death toll currently stands at 23 confirmed after it battered the Caribbean throughout the week. It will be followed by another storm, Hurricane Jose, which looks likely to take a similar route through the region.

Source: BBC

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Hurricane Irma