In a bizarre attempt at gaining online fame, 29-year-old Keith Castillo, who goes by the handle “povwolfy” on social media, has gone viral for distributing large machetes and bottles of alcohol to homeless individuals in Austin and New Orleans.
The stunt, which Castillo claims is meant to “keep them safe,” has drawn sharp criticism from the public and law enforcement experts for its potential to incite danger and violence.
Castillo, hailing from Corpus Christi, Texas, began his nationwide tour in October, traveling from city to city to film content for clicks and views. He currently has nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok.
In videos posted to his accounts, he can be seen handing out 18-inch stainless steel machetes—purchased in bulk from Harbor Freight for under $5 each, along with handles of vodka and small bottles of cinnamon whiskey.
One particularly viral clip, shared on Thanksgiving, shows him distributing the weapons in Texas with the caption “Keeping the homeless in the streets safe.”
@povwolfyKeeping the homeless in the streets safe ♬ original sound – Wolfy
The video has racked up millions of views, while featuring homeless people eagerly accepting the machetes.
One machete recipient responded, “Hell yeah, man.”
@povwolfyKeeping the homeless in the streets ♬ original sound – Wolfy
Another post from earlier this month refers to the machetes as “big ass swords” while, again, claiming to protect the homeless.
Castillo has also conducted similar distributions in Little Rock, Arkansas, and keeps about 30 machetes in his car at any time.
The wannabe influencer plans to continue the tour, targeting Las Vegas, Nevada; Skid Row in Los Angeles, California; and New York City in January, according to a report from the New York Post.
The Post reports:
So far, he’s armed homeless folks in Austin, New Orleans, and Little Rock — but he has his sights set on larger skylines.
“I have plans to go to Vegas, Skid Row [in L.A.] soon,” Castillo said.
“I should be in New York in January, I have a lot of friends out there,” he said. “Go hand out a bunch of machetes and fireballs there, too.” The fireballs he referred to are one-ounce bottles of 66-proof Cinnamon whisky.
Public backlash has been swift and severe. Social media users slammed the videos, with one Instagram commenter stating, “Keeping them safe [no], making them dangerous [yes].”
While possession of a machete isn’t illegal in many places, critics argue the stunts exploit vulnerable people and could lead to harmful outcomes.
“These are for, like, tool purposes. They have zero intent for what people are claiming they want to do with the [machetes],” Castillo told the paper.
Castillo also had no regrets about handing out booze to people likely to have substance abuse issues.
“Honestly I really don’t care bro, it’s good for the clicks and views, you know,” Castillo said. “Gotta do what we have to do so we eat.”
The post Wannabe Influencer Sparks Outrage by Handing Out Machetes and Booze to Homeless in Austin and New Orleans appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.