US sheriff issues warning ‘do not shoot weapons at Irma’ after prank goes viral

It was a distinctly Floridian twist: a sheriff in the southeastern US state known for its love of guns has warned residents not to shoot at Hurricane Irma after an online prank promoting the idea went viral.

“To clarify, DO NOT shoot weapons @ #Irma,” the office of the sheriff of Pasco County, on the state’s west coast, tweeted late on Saturday as the storm made landfall.

“You won’t make it turn around & it will have very dangerous side effects” the message added, in reference to the unpredictable flight path shots fired may follow.

The idea started as a joke on Facebook, inspired by “a combination of stress and boredom,” 22-year-old Ryon Edwards of Deland said.

As of Sunday afternoon, some 54,000 people had marked themselves as “interested” in the event.

Many appeared to take the bizarre idea in the spirit Edwards seemed to intend, posting pictures of themselves in underwear or camouflage waving guns. One even suggested using a flame-thrower to teach Irma a lesson.