An influencer has sparked controversy after warning Californians that ‘all these homeless people have been waiting for their moment’ to wreak havoc amid the chaos of the fires devastating the US.
Taking to social media, Leo Skepi, who has 4.7 million followers on TikTok urged people in Los Angeles to prepare for ’round two’ after the blaze, which will be a ‘battle for resources’.
Viewers are divided, with some slamming the creator – who, it is understood, in the summer moved from LA to Texas – for ‘fearmongering’ while others say his sentiments ‘make so much sense’.
He claimed that a ‘crime free for all’ was on the horizon because police and emergency services are occupied with the inferno, and said everyone – especially women – should be ‘as vicious as they need to be’ to protect their communities.
‘OK this is for everyone in LA,’ he said in the clip from this weekend, which has racked up 14.4 million views.
‘If you survived the fire, congrats. This is round two. This is threat number two. Threat number one was the fire, it’s slowing down, great. Do not relax. There’s no time for f***ing tears yet no crying no nothing.’
Leo said it’s ‘game time’ because ‘human beings are the apex predator’.
‘Cops – nobody’s responding to crimes right now,’ he continued. ‘Everything is going to be covered and overlooked by this whole fire that’s happening.’
Taking to social media, Leo Skepi , who has 4.7 million followers on TikTok urged people in Los Angeles to prepare for ’round two’ after the blaze, which will be a ‘battle for resources’
Pictured: A home burning in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California amid the Los Angeles fires this month
Leo claimed that homeless people in particular have been ‘waiting for their moment’ to ‘shine’. He has divided viewers
‘People are already breaking into businesses, breaking into houses, harming other people, unaliving other people… because nobody’s going to f***ing take the time, there’s too much happening for people.’
He warned Los Angeles-dwellers to ‘protect you and yours at all costs’, alleging that this is ‘about to become a fight for resources and you’re also going to be dealing with people in the society of LA’.
Leo claimed that homeless people in particular have been ‘waiting for their moment’ to ‘shine’.
‘They’re already breaking into businesses, stealing, people are setting more fires just because the watch watch this s**t go down.’
The TikToker said he feels ‘sorry for everyone in this position’ but stressed that they need to take whatever measures necessary to stay safe.
‘Their crimes are free for all… but if you gotta do what you gotta do… everybody’s kind of free,’ he said.
The TikToker said he feels ‘sorry for everyone in this position’ but stressed that they need to take whatever measures necessary to stay safe
Leo’s video divided opinions, with some finding the clip ‘odd’ while others praised him for ‘telling it like it is’
‘This is all alleged kind of… but everybody there, you know what the f*** is going on. Women, stick the f*** together. Be as vicious as you have to be.
‘Nobody can respond to a crime right now… if men wanna come in your house and overpower you…what you gonna do? There’s no one to help…life or death… act accordingly.’
Leo’s video divided opinions, with some finding the clip ‘odd’ while others praised him for ‘telling it like it is’.
‘”All these homeless people have been WAITING” you’re an awful human being wow,’ one wrote.
‘Can you relax,’ a second penned.
Multiple people have also made response videos slamming Leo’s rhetoric as ‘dangerous’ and filled with ‘fearmongering’ about homeless people.
Other creators said it was ‘so weird’ of him to start ‘blaming’ the unhoused population amid a natural disaster.
But many were in agreement, calling Leo’s video ‘the most real post’ they’ve seen on the subject, with fellow influencer pal Tana Mongeau voicing her agreement.
Multiple people have also made response videos slamming Leo’s rhetoric as ‘dangerous’ and filled with ‘fearmongering’ about homeless people. Pictured, firefighters in LA this month
‘Why did this give me chills?’ one voiced. ‘This straight up sounds like the purge.’
‘You’re like the big brother who doesn’t want to be mean but definitely says what we need to hear,’ a third said.
MailOnline has reached out to Leo’s team for comment.
The Los Angeles fires death toll has skyrocketed to 24 amid warnings hellish weather conditions will spur on the raging infernos for at least three more days.
Meteorologists warned residents in fire-ravaged evacuation zones that ‘life threatening’ winds reaching 70mph will pick up on Sunday night and last through to Wednesday, heightening the risk for fires to spread even further across southern California.
‘The general duration of this is not looking good,’ meteorologist Rose Schoenfield warned.
The weather warning also prevents locals from returning home to inspect the damage, and makes it more challenging for first responders sifting through the ash and debris searching for dozens of people who remain unaccounted for.
Four fires have burned through 40,000 acres across the most affluent neighborhoods in LA, with A-list celebrity homes and restaurant hotspots among the 12,300 structures wiped out.
The weather warning also prevents locals from returning home to inspect the damage. Pictured, scenes from Sunday
With cadaver dogs now being brought in to locate human remains, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has warned the death toll will likely continue to rise
The Los Angeles medical examiner updated the death count on Sunday afternoon, revealing 24 people are now confirmed dead as a result of the fires.
But dozens more are unaccounted for as evacuees locked out of their suburbs face an anxious wait to return home and see what – if anything – remains.
With cadaver dogs now being brought in to locate human remains, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has warned the death toll will likely continue to rise.
‘The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and the Los Angeles County Fire Department [are] using cadaver dogs, doing grid searches,’ he said.
‘I don’t expect good news from those,’ he added. ‘We will keep people updated.’
A CalFire spokesperson warned of ‘life threatening winds’ picking back up between Sunday and Wednesday as authorities issued a rare ‘particularly dangerous situation’ red flag warning – which was also issued the day before the initial fires broke out last week.
‘Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread,’ CalFire said in a statement.
‘The winds will cause increased fire activity.’
A woman sits as she sifts through the rubble of her mother’s home after it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire
A fire fighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire grows
Residents in the areas not yet facing evacuation orders but subject to the Santa Ana winds have been warned to avoid mowing or trimming their dry grass, parking their cars on grass and to ensure campfires are ‘completely out.’
Miles Bliss, for the National Weather Service, provided a grim update on Sunday afternoon, warning strong Santa Ana winds which fueled the infernos last week will intensify once again.
‘Critical fire weather conditions will be expected during this time so please be prepared to evacuate if told so by officials,’ he said.
The weather is expected to contribute to another stint of dangerous and potentially extreme fire conditions which could exacerbate the fires already burning and cause more new ones to pop up.
Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said: ‘It’s very important that the community understands that these wind events are coming.’
These conditions have prompted a red flag warning until 6pm Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said authorities won’t consider allowing displaced residents to return home until after that warning has been lifted.
‘Unfortunately, those conversations are not going to begin until the next predicted red flag ends on Wednesday,’ he said.
The fire spread from the celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades up the coast to Malibu, where it destroyed the iconic houses along the beach
Pictured: An American flag is seen tattered as it flies above a burned down home after the Palisades Fire
Pictured: The Palisades Fire reached over 23,000 acres by Sunday night as LA residents continue to face evacuations
‘Please rest assured that first thing Thursday, we will start talking about re-population and evacuation order and warning areas,’ he said in a Sunday news conference.
Consumer Watchdog executive director Carmen Balber should begin documenting every cost they incur straight away to ensure they get paid what they are owed.
‘If you’re in an evacuation area – and especially if you already know you lost your home – contact your insurance company right away. You can get an advance on your policy limits,’ she said.
The Palisades Fire which began in the ritzy Pacific Palisades kicked off last Tuesday, and has since burned through 23,707 acres and left at least eight dead.
It spread from the celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades up the coast to Malibu, where it destroyed the iconic houses along the beach.
Miles Teller, Mel Gibson and Paris Hilton are among A-list celebrities who lost their homes in the inferno.
But as firefighters worked to contain the blaze, a separate fire broke out near Pasadena, since named the Eaton fire.
This fire has spread through slightly less land at 14,117 acres, but has cost at least 16 lives with the death toll expected to rise. Mandy Moore’s home was among those charred beyond recognition in the Eaton fire.
The victims of both fires include a man who died still clutching a garden hose and a woman who was unwilling to leave her pets.
A British former child star who was blind and had cerebral palsy also tragically died after telling his mom to ‘leave him’ behind.
Rory Callum Sykes, 32, lost his life when his self-contained cottage on his mother’s estate in Malibu burned down on Thursday.
Several other blazes have broken out over the week and subsequently been contained, including one in the Hollywood Hills and another which encroached upon the Kardashian enclave of Calabasas.
The widespread tragedy and ongoing evacuation orders has sparked looting and chaos, with 29 burglars arrested so far, including one man who was caught disguising himself as a firefighter.