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War of words: Governor, State Attorney at odds over response to Pine Hills mass shooter

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A war of words that started after the tragedy that left three dead and two wounded in Pine Hills is continuing.

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As Orange-Osceola County State Attorney Monique Worrell announced she’s expected to file charges on Friday, she also spoke out against Gov. Ron DeSantis who said, “(Worrell) thinks you don’t prosecute people, and that’s the way you somehow have a better community – that does not work.”

Worrell also said that DeSantis is pushing a political agenda that may include pushing her out of office.

The Florida Constitution allows the governor to suspend an elected official for breaking the law or not doing their job.

READ: State attorney details previous arrests of mass shooting suspect Keith Moses

Right after the shooting, some officials appeared to be setting up that neglect argument against Worrell. However, she is making it very clear she won’t just roll over.

“As prosecutors, we uphold the law, and upholding the law doesn’t mean that we just throw things against the wall to see what sticks,” Worrell said.

Watch: Central Florida mourns after Orange County mass shooting leaves 3 dead

In the days after the deadly mass shooting. DeSantis criticized Worrell for not putting suspect Keith Moses behind bars because of a lengthy criminal record, most of which happened when he was a juvenile.

See the full story in the video above.

Read: Affidavit: Man offered accused mass shooter a ride moments before first Pine Hills shooting

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.