‘Second Amendment Has Never Shot Anybody,’ Gov. Rick Scott Says After Fort Myers Rampage

FORT MYERS, FL — As the investigation into a deadly Monday morning shooting in Fort Myers continued, Florida Gov. Rick Scott refused to speak about gun control issues in the Sunshine State.

Scott cancelled his planned schedule after waking up Monday morning to hear about the shooting at Club Blu in Fort Myers. That shooting left two teenagers dead and more than a dozen wounded. Fort Myers Police said they have three people of interest in the case in custody and are actively searching for others.

Monday’s rampage comes on the heels of a mass shooting in Orlando that left 49 people dead and 53 others wounded. While the June Orlando shooting carried out by Omar Mateen, 29, has been described as an act of terror, Monday’s Fort Myers shooting is not terrorism-related, local officials insist.

Scott traveled from Tallahassee to Fort Myers Monday to receive updates on the Club Blu investigation from local authorities. He was pressed about gun control issues during a Monday afternoon media conference with Fort Myers and Lee County officials.

See also:

• Senate Votes Down Gun Restrictions On Suspected Terrorists
• Florida Nightclub Shooting: ‘Not An Act of Terror,’ Police Say

“I support the Second Amendment,” Scott said. “The Second Amendment has never shot anybody — evil does this.”

Scott acknowledged that it has been a rough summer for Florida and stressed the need for people to take an active role in keeping their communities safe.

“We’re going to have to work together,” Scott said. “Every citizen of the state has got to show up. If you see something, say something.”

Florida has more than 1.4 million concealed weapons permit holders. Following the June 12 Orlando massacre, described as the worst mass shooting in modern American history, the U.S. Senate voted down four bills meant to control firearms in the country. One of the bills would have prohibited gun sales to people on terrorism watch lists.

Scott also mentioned that Florida’s crime rate is technically at a 45-year low. According to the state, there were 10,733 fewer crimes reported in 2015 than in 2014.

Patch file photo