Graphic Video Shows Shark Shot To Death, Men Laugh At Bleeding Animal

A new video showing a man shooting a hammerhead shark after it was being caught by another man in Florida has appeared online. The video, which contains graphic footage, shows one of the men killing the animal by firing two shots at it using a handgun.

In the video, the men are seen laughing at the animal as it bleeds and struggles for its life. The incident is now part of a state investigation, local media reports said. Authorities are trying to find the exact location where the incident took place. According to Florida Legislature, a person who unnecessarily harms an animal can be imprisoned or even slapped with a fine of up to $5,000.

Read: Shark Attacks GoPro Camera Capturing Underwater Life

“This videotape speaks for itself. It is heinous,” South Florida animal activist Russ Rector told Miami's 7News.

“He didn’t even have the knowledge, the courtesy or the empathy to put the bullet in the shark’s head. He shot the shark repeatedly in the gills,” Rector said adding that “shooting a shark in the gills is not an instant kill. That shark bled out and suffocated.”

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) spokesman reportedly said: “That video was forwarded to us as a result of the public outcry from the first shark dragging video. The video is being investigated, and FWC can’t confirm identities.”

This incident comes barely a week after a video showing a shark being dragged behind a Floridian's high-speed boat had surfaced online. The video went viral with several social media users condemning the act.

"The FWC takes this very seriously and is currently investigating this incident. We are also attempting to identify the individuals in the video and where it took place," Rob Klepper, a public information coordinator from FWC, told the Bradenton Herald about the video last week. "It is too early to speculate as to what, if any, violations took place in this incident."

The video, which surfaced July 24, also forced the cancellation of MTV's "Siesta Key" premiere party after one of its stars, Alex Kompothecras, received death threats over the video showing one of his friends dragging the shark by its fin.

“We’ve spoken to Alex and many others at length, and it’s clear that he was not on the boat nor played any role in this incredibly disturbing incident,” a representative for MTV said in a statement to People Magazine. “We hope the serious threats unfairly being made against Alex and the other cast members – for something they had absolutely nothing to do with – stop.”

Read: Shark Filmed Being Dragged By High-Speed Boat In Florida

Kompothecras said he and his family have become the victims of hate and harassment amid the shark video controversy.

“I got some horrific comments,” Kompothecras said. “My mom took it the hardest. She sobbed for three days in a row because she was scared for me. I couldn’t even go outside to walk my dog. It’s been hectic and scary.”