DALLAS — A Texas man who operates a weather Facebook page is going viral after getting backlash from a social media where he made a threat to shoot a child who rang his doorbell.
Chris Robbins, who has lived in Southlake and runs "iWeatherNet" covering weather events in Dallas-Fort Worth and also Atlanta, Georgia on social media, posted the following:
"A child just rang my doorbell. Folks you do NOT ring doorbells in 2023. My 6 was loaded. Keep your kids away. -Chris"
The post was deleted, but a woman screenshotted the post before it was deleted and said "Just posted by a meteorologist, a gun nut, who covers our area. This is scary."
In her screenshot, the woman, Stefani Seely, questioned the seriousness of his intent.
"So you're willing to shoot someone just because they rang your doorbell," Seeley questioned in response. "Stand your ground isn't meant for that and the way you're nearly threatening anyone, specifically kids, is disgusting and why some people shouldn't have guns."
"I'm not f------ around," the iWeatherNet account replied.
Screenshots show that before Robbins deleted the post, he edited it. The edited version read:
"Folks, it is a bad idea to allow your kids to go around ringing doorbells in 2023. Read the news. Stop it. If my doorbell rings again tomorrow I might pull someone's hair lol. I'm just playing, but it really is a bad idea for kids roaming around ringing doorbells. This is not 1972. If that brat rings my doorbell again tomorrow, I will call the police. Take notes. She was looking for her kitten. I'm so impatient. I feel bad because I warned her that I might pull her hair if they rang my doorbell again. She started crying. Then she told me her kitten was missing. I told her to call animal control. because I saw them in the neighborhood a few days ago. Learning opportunity, She found a nice grumpy old man. Others out there will cause harm. Please teach your kids to stay away from doorbells."
Robbins defended himself in another deleted post, saying "for the record, I never threatened a 6 year old."
"I warned her about ringing doorbells. Good advice in 2023," Robbins said in the post. "Turns out she was looking for her kitten. I saw animal control in the neighborhood. I helped her find her kitten. We got her kitten back. Do not ring doorbells in 2023."
Robbins also said in the since-deleted post that he had been receiving death threats but warned that he knows "all the police and the chief in Atlanta/Fulton County" and that his "6 is over there."
On his website, Robbins says he got both a bachelor’s degree (B.S.) and master’s degree (M.S.) in atmospheric science/meteorology from the University of Oklahoma’s School of Meteorology.
It is unclear whether this incident happened in DFW or elsewhere.
Robbins posted an apology on the iWeatherNet Facebook page that reads:
"I’m truly very sorry for the ridiculous post that I made a few days ago about the doorbell. I was just in a terrible mood so I lashed out on social media. Temporarily lapse in judgment and we all make mistakes. I love everyone and I hope you all can forgive me. My point was, in light of recent events involving doorbells, it’s not a good idea to go around the neighborhood ringing them. I couldn’t harm a flea. I helped that little girl find her kitten. -Chris."
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