Sign Appears Outside Of Florida Church Overnight, 4 Words Leaves Some Furious

A warning sign at a church in Florida is going viral and it’s easy to see why.

The sign put up to greet visitors at The River at Tampa Bay Church makes it clear that violence will not be tolerated.

Following the mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in which 26 were killed, the church shared a photo of the sign that has been hanging on its front door for more than a year.

“Welcome to The River at Tampa Bay Church — Right of admission reserved — This is private property,” the warning sign reads. “Please know this is not a gun free zone — we are heavily armed — any attempt will be dealt with deadly force — yes we are a church and we will protect our people. –The Pastors”

Associate pastor Allen Hawes told the Tampa Bay Times the sign is “a deterrent.”

“Look at what is going on,” Hawes said. “In the past two months, look at what happened in Texas. Look at what happened in Las Vegas. Because we are a church that is on television, we are very involved in the community. We want people to know that this is a safe zone.”

Hawes has a concealed weapon permit and owns a Springfield Armory 1911 handgun, according to The Blaze. He said that he is far from the only gun owner at the church.

“If you walk through the door with the intention to harm, that sign serves as a deterrent to you,” Hawes said. “We are not a soft target People here will defend their families.”

The church, which has an average attendance of about 1,200 people each Sunday, has previously hosted concealed weapon permit classes.

The church’s leaders are also paying close attention to a string of four unsolved murders in the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa.

“Someone is murdering people,” Hawes said. “This stuff is happening all the time. Do you wait for another shooting to take precautions?”

The church’s sign went viral after being shared on Instagram by senior pastor Rodney Howard-Browne.

Readers shared their thoughts on the sign on the Mad World News Facebook page.

“It’s a shame it has come to this but everyone has a right to defend themselves!” One reader commented. “It’s the 2nd amendment that keeps us all safe!”

“It’s a shame, but Christian does not mean ‘sitting duck,'” another user wrote. “It’s interesting how shooters target those who can’t or won’t defend themselves. I guess it makes them feel empowered. Real tough. So a few churches have decided No More. Good for them.”

Sources: Tampa Bay Times, The Blaze, Mad World News/Facebook / Featured Image: Pixabay / Embedded Images: Instagram via The Blaze, The River at Tampa Bay Church/Facebook