A sheriff on Florida's Space Coast says licensed citizens who carry firearms should be prepared to use them in an active-shooter scenario until law enforcement arrives.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey says in a video posted on the department's Facebook page that citizens who legally carry firearms may be the best defense against somebody who opens fire in a public place.
In the video posted Sunday night, Ivey says "good" guys with guns may be the only thing that stops "bad" guys with guns.
Ivey says that even if law enforcement responds in minutes, it may be too late because a shooter can kill many people in seconds.
Ivey says people should run, hide or fight if they have no other choice.
OTHER SHERIFFS RESPOND TO SAN BERNARDINO
Meanwhile, the sheriff of Hendry County in southwest Florida made his own Facebook post calling on people to get their concealed weapons permits, NBC 2 reported.
Local
Sheriff Steve Whidden said the U.S. is under attack by radical Islamic terrorists and said he doesn't want people to feel like "helpless victims."
"It is evident that we as a nation are under attack by radical Islamic terrorists," his post read. "These people have vowed under their religion to destroy all who do not follow their beliefs. Radical Islam has openly declared war on us and has vowed to attack us here - on our soil - and they are here with more coming."
Whidden said spots for his office's concealed carry class are filling fast. More than 1.3 million Floridians, the highest of any state, have concealed permits.
