TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed flags be flown at half-staff following two separate mass shootings in the United States that left nearly 30 dead within 24 hours.
Twenty people were killed and more than two dozen were injured in El Paso, Texas on Saturday when a gunman opened fire in a shopping area. Less than 24 hours later, a gunman killed nine people and injured 26 more in Dayton, Ohio.
Gov. DeSantis issued a memorandum Sunday afternoon directing flags be flown at half-staff, “In honor and remembrance of the victims of the senseless acts of violence in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.”
The governor has ordered all United States flags and State of Florida flags be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations and grounds throughout the state. DeSantis says the flags should be lowered immediately and remain at half-staff until sunset Thursday. That’s when President Donald Trump’s national directive expires.
“As our nation mourns the tragic and senseless loss of life in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, we reaffirm that these acts of violence are not representative of who we are as a nation,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Florida stands committed to do all that is necessary to support law enforcement efforts for the safety and security of our residents and visitors. May we pray for those who grieve and remember always that we are a resilient nation.”
