A Black audience member confronted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on his state policies, blaming him for the “racially motivated” shooting of Black people that left three dead last month.
The heated exchange came during a press conference in Jacksonville where a gunman targeted African-American shoppers at a Dollar General store.
The man told DeSantis that he believed the governor “enacted policies that hurt people like myself” and “allowed” firearms possession to “immature people.”
“First of all, I did not allow anything with that,” DeSantis said. “I’m not going to let you accuse me of committing criminal activity. I am not going to take that!”
“You want to have a civil conversation? That’s one thing. Try to say that I’m letting – that guy was Baker acted.”
“You don’t get to come here and blame me for some madman that is not appropriate, and I’m not going to accept it.”
The man then added that DeSantis “has allowed people to hunt people like me,” to which the governor replied, “Oh, that is nonsense!”
DeSantis was widely criticized following the Jacksonville store shooting and blamed for signing a bill allowing people to carry concealed weapons without a permit starting July 1.
