Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warns post-Idalia thieves and looters they could be shot

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a stern warning to people trying to fly during the recovery from Hurricane Idalia: “You loot, we shoot. »

Mr. DeSantis, the Republican presidential candidate, said would-be thieves should be aware that some areas of Florida are passionate about the Second Amendment and have the right to defend their homes and other property.

“You never know what’s behind that door if you break into someone’s house,” he said at a press conference in Perry on Wednesday.

“In this part of Florida, you have many Second Amendment advocates and supporters,” the governor said. “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.'”

Hurricane Idalia hit Florida midweek as a Category 3 storm. Two deaths in car crashes have been attributed to the storm.

Although the devastation was not as severe as feared, many Floridians lost power and some towns have a long way to go to recover from flooding and other damage. Idalia has weakened into a tropical storm and is bringing heavy rain to Georgia and the Carolinas.

Mr. DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign days ago to respond to a racially motivated shooting in Jacksonville that left three black people dead and to prepare for the storm.

Idalia’s takeover will be seen as a key test for Mr. DeSantis, who is trying to close a wide gap in the polls with the GOP presidential frontrunner, former President Donald Trump.