Angry man killed his dog when Hurricane Milton knocked out power, Florida sheriff says
Among the tragic events linked to Hurricane Milton in Florida was a series of gunshots fired at a home after the power went out in Rockledge, investigators say.
It happened on Saturday, Oct. 12, and a dog was hit and killed in the home, Brevard County Sheriff’s Wayne Ivey said in a video shared Oct. 23 on Facebook.
The dog’s 72-year-old owner fired the shots and his reasoning was senseless, Ivey says.
“He was sitting at his house about 4 o’clock in the morning. It was right after Hurricane Milton. ... He’s all mad because (the power company) hadn’t gotten to him to turn his power back on. So he starts shooting his gun in the house,” Ivey says.
“That’s right. This (man) was shooting his gun in the house and shoots and kills his dog. Now, if that’s not bad enough, he doesn’t immediately call 911. ... No surprise here, but alcohol was involved in this.”
The man eventually went to a neighbor’s home and used their phone to report that “he thinks he shot his dog,” Ivey said. The man then went home, sat on his porch and waited. At no point did the man try to help the wounded dog, Ivey says.
Deputies found the dog still alive but “in distress,” and rushed it to an animal hospital. It died soon after, officials said.
An investigation revealed the context of the shooting, which happened as more than 3.3 million customers in Florida were dealing with power outages related to Hurricane Milton, which made landfall just before 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 on Siesta Key in Sarasota County.
When confronted by investigators, the suspect showed no remorse and said the power company made him kill the dog, because it took too long to restore power, Ivey said.
“You’re an idiot. That’s what made you do this,” Ivey says in the video. “So don’t be blaming other people for you killing your dog. ... You were mad. You couldn’t control your emotions and you were drunk.”
The suspect was arrested Oct. 23 and charged with animal cruelty, using a firearm under the influence of alcohol and shooting in a dwelling, officials said.
Rockledge is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Orlando.