Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods denounced gun control efforts at a press conference Friday after shootings left three Florida teens dead.
“All the gun laws we got in place didn’t prevent it did it!” Woods said after noting that the suspects obtained the weapons from car burglaries. “The bad guy’s gonna get a gun no matter what law you have put in place.”
“These juveniles shouldn’t even possess a handgun,” the sheriff added, “but they did.”
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods goes off after reporter tries to use gun control angle after murder of teens:
“All the gun laws we got in place didn’t prevent it, did it?! Neither will any news ones. … The bad guy’s gonna get a gun no matter what law you have put in place!” pic.twitter.com/IsnmdyRqxk
— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) April 7, 2023
The shooting involved three suspects, two of whom are in custody according to CBS News. The two suspects in custody are aged 17 and 12 and have been charged with first-degree murder, while the third suspect is 16 years old and remains at large, according to NBC News. (RELATED: Fisherman Shot By Gang Of Masked Men On Walk Back To His Car)
The three victims were identified by police as 16-year-old Layla Silvernail, another 16-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy, per CBS. Silvernail was found by a road in March 30 bleeding from a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital, where she died. Authorities found the male victim’s body a few miles away the following day and found that other female victim’s body in the trunk of Silvernail’s vehicle, which was partially submerged in a lake, per NBC.
The six teens all knew each other and had gang affiliations, the outlet noted.
