People accused of throwing rocks at a gator; neighbors warn of consequences

Disturbing video has surfaced of people taunting an alligator in Gateway.

In the video you can see them trying to lure the gator with food, and as it gets closer, they start pelting it with rocks.

Then, an older gentleman picked up a big rock and hit the alligator in the head.

Disturbed by the incident, Neighbor Chuck Williams says, “It should be classified as animal cruelty.

Williams lives next door and shot the video on his cell phone. He’s worried about gators getting too close.

“We live in a development full of small children.” Williams said. “The children do walk to the school buses and past all these lakes. These alligators do change lakes at night.”

The idea of children playing near the pond is also a concern to other neighbors like Sharon Kanan, “My grandkids come down from Michigan and we can’t play in the backyard because of fear of alligators.”

With the weather getting warmer the FWC says alligators are out and about, and under state law it is illegal to feed, kill, harass or possess alligators.

WINK News tried to get in contact with the people in the video but they declined.

Another neighbor says the person who threw the rock was simply feeding fish. And when they noticed the gator, they threw the rock in fear,  unaware of the law.

But Williams says they should know better, “You expect the stuff in children you don’t expect this in adults to hit animals with rocks.”

He hopes that children and adults alike recognize the dangers.

Neighbors say this isn’t the first time alligators have appeared in the pond and want warning signs installed.