Mom Arrested For Shooting Poisonous Snake

Apparently, when it comes to choosing between gun control or snake control, Florida would choose guns over snakes.

During a recent football practice at Bay High School, located in north Florida, a water moccasin decided to try out for the team. And one mother, after watching several coaches attempt to corral the snake with sticks, decided to step in and help. April Dawn DeMarco, 30, informed Miren Greogory that she had a concealed weapon permit, and then borrowed his gun to shoot the snake.

According to WCTV, the kids at the practice were about 20 to 50 yards away from the snake when DeMarco fired. The gun was a.380 caliber handgun.

It seems apparent that DeMarco was merely trying to protect the kids from a potentially harmful situation with the snake, and she also had a concealed carry permit — so what was the problem?

Apparently, discharging a firearm on school campus is against the law. Furthermore, it’s against the law to even have a gun on the school campus, with or without a concealed carry permit. And so DeMarco was arrested Monday for discharging a firearm on school property. First Coast News reports that Gregory also faces charges for possession of a weapon on school property. It’s uncertain whether DeMarco or Gregory have hired legal representation.

One parent did try to warn both DeMarco and Gregory that having (and discharging) a gun on school property was illegal. DeMarco, apparently, was unimpressed, saying simply, “I will take the blame.”

Water moccasins, which are also known as cottonmouths, are definitely a venomous breed of snake. Adult snakes can get very large, and are more than capable of delivering a bite that is not only incredibly painful, but potentially fatal, as well. If antagonized — say, by a group of coaches poking at it with sticks in an effort to contain it — they can become aggressive, and are known for standing their ground by coiling their bodies up tightly and displaying their impressive fangs.

DeMarco now faces a felony charge for discharging the handgun on school property… and she can’t even claim the snake as a kill. Reports were uncertain of whether or not she even hit the snake, but the snake did end up slithering back off the field after DeMarco shot at it.

So what do you think? Should this Florida mom face felony charges for shooting a gun on school property? Were her actions reckless? Or should she be given a pass for trying to protect the kids?

[Image via Wikipedia]