Fred Guttenberg

Fred Guttenberg (born December 24, 1965) is an American activist against gun violence. His 14-year-old daughter Jaime Guttenberg[1] was murdered in the Parkland high school shooting in suburban Fort Lauderdale, Florida on February 14, 2018. His son, Jesse, also a student at the school, ran from the shooting to meet him at a nearby store.[2] He learned about his daughter's death from a friend who is a Coral Springs SWAT officer.[3] Jessica McBride, for the website Heavy, described him as "one of the strongest voices for changes to gun laws in the wake of the mass shooting".[4]

Fred Guttenberg
Fred Guttenberg attends the 2020 State of the Union Address
Born (1965-12-24) December 24, 1965
East Northport, New York, U.S.
MovementAnti-gun violence
Children2

Activism

The day after the shooting, Guttenberg spoke out for gun control, stating "Don't tell me there's no such thing as gun violence. It happened in Parkland".[5] Before the nationally televised CNN town hall he criticized President Donald Trump for not saying guns are a problem in a White House listening session, saying "My daughter was hunted last week" and "I am enraged".[6][7] During the CNN town hall he confronted Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio for his position on guns.[8][9]

According to a report in The Guardian, Guttenberg's priorities include raising the minimum age to buy guns, adding a waiting period before gun sales, having a no-loopholes policy for a mandatory background check of the gun buyer, and banning high-capacity ammunition magazines and bump stocks.[3] While he would prefer that assault-style weapons were banned entirely, he believes that given the current political reality, that such a ban would be unlikely to ever happen, and accordingly he is advocating for measures to reduce gun violence which have a realistic chance of passage.[3]

He told the Tampa Bay Times in March 2018 he has dedicated the rest of his life to fighting for gun safety.[10]

NRA

He is a staunch critic of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) as well as its spokesperson Dana Loesch, and he criticized the NRA advertisement entitled Time Is Running Out, saying if a terrorist organization released a similar video, the terror threat level would be raised.[11] He told lawmakers that "All our legislators who stand with the NRA, they're standing with a terrorist group."[3] He called on President Donald Trump to address threats made against survivors and their families and demand such behavior stop.[12][13]

Guttenberg noted that guns were prohibited by the Secret Service at the NRA convention in Dallas when vice president Mike Pence is scheduled to speak, and criticized the decision as hypocritical.[14] Guttenberg said:

According to the NRA, we should want everyone to have weapons when we are in public ... But when they put on a convention, the weapons are a concern? I thought giving everyone a gun was to enhance safety.

— Guttenberg, April 2018[14]

Political
Fred Guttenberg speaks to the press on Sheriff Scott Israel's suspension on January 11, 2019.

In early March 2018 he traveled to Washington to speak at a US Senate hearing[15][16] about taking steps to prevent further violence. While in the Washington area he spoke at a town hall in Alexandria, Virginia.[17][18][19] Guttenberg's advocacy has been characterized by his refusal to sit down, with Democratic Florida Senator Bill Nelson explaining that Guttenberg "cannot talk about this sitting down."[3]

Every time one of these incidents happens, the conversation afterwards is always way too polite, way too comfortable, and way too temporary ... I will always be respectful... I'm not going away. This will not be temporary.

— Fred Guttenberg, March 16, 2018[20]

Javier Manjarres, the Republican candidate for Florida's 22nd congressional district, wrote on social media in July 2018, "C'mon Fred...stop exploiting her death in the name of some political agenda...your daughter was shot by some lunatic who had an AR-15, not by the gun itself. #Fixit #VoteJavi".[21] Guttenberg responded that he would do everything possible to make sure that Manjarres would not "sniff the halls of Congress", and that "If you call honesty around gun safety exploitation, then you clearly have a political agenda."[21] Manjarres was later arrested for physically attacking his sister's boyfriend and shooting at his truck as he fled.[21]

On September 4, 2018, at a hearing for the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination, Guttenberg introduced himself to Kavanaugh, who looked at him, but turned away without shaking his hand.[22][23][24][25] The encounter was the basis of a written question from the senators, to which Kavanaugh wrote that he did not recognize Guttenberg after having had a "chaotic morning".[26] Guttenberg criticized Kavanaugh's response, calling it "less than genuine".[27]

In September 2019, Guttenberg met with Ted Cruz and Alyssa Milano to discuss gun violence. He said this was "a really important day."[28] On February 4, 2020, Guttenberg was invited to attend President Trump's State of the Union address. During the speech, Guttenberg attempted to shout over the President, and was asked to leave.[29][30][31] The following day he apologized for the outburst, saying he let his emotions get the best of him.[32]

After Robb Elementary School shooting in 2022, Guttenberg called for politicians to enact stricter gun control, and expressed support for the families of the victims.[33]

In May 2018, Guttenberg and another parent whose child was killed in the massacre filed lawsuits against American Outdoor Brands, a company that makes the AR-15 rifle, and Sunrise Tactical Supply, a store that sold the weapon to the shooter, as being "complicit in the attack" that resulted in 17 deaths.[34] The lawsuit is the first step in an effort to challenge a 2001 Florida law that protects gun makers and gun sellers from such lawsuits.[34]

Personal life

Guttenberg is a real estate agent and auto broker in Parkland, Florida.[4] Guttenberg grew up in a Conservative Jewish home and is a Reform Jew as an adult.[35] He struggled with his faith after his daughter's death; he ceased attending synagogue but remained on good terms with his rabbi.[36]

References
  1. "Fred Guttenberg, Jaime's Father: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". heavy.com. February 22, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  2. "Fred Guttenberg Parkland Shooting Victim's Father on Dedicating His Life to Fighting Gun Violence". www.marieclaire.com. March 2018.
  3. Lois Beckett (March 11, 2018). "'I'm not going away': Florida father demands gun reform: Fred Guttenberg's daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting. In the short time since, he has devoted himself to pushing for change". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018. ... Guttenberg had been even blunter. "All our legislators who stand with the NRA, they're standing with a terrorist group,"...
  4. Heavy Magazine, February 22, 2018, Jessica McBride, Fred Guttenberg, Jaime's Father: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Retrieved March 10, 2018
  5. Kasana, Mehreen (February 22, 2018). "This Exchange Between Marco Rubio And A Parkland Victim's Dad Will Break You". Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  6. "Father of victim: My daughter was hunted - CNN Video". CNN. February 22, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  7. "'I am enraged': Father of Parkland shooting victim blasts the listening session Trump held with mass-shooting survivors". Business Insider. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  8. "Victim's father, Sen. Rubio in heated exchange - CNN Video". CNN. February 22, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  9. Josiah Ryan (February 21, 2018). "Father of teen slain in Florida school massacre slams Rubio on gun stances". CNN. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  10. Alex Leary (March 8, 2018). "Parkland community to Congress: 'We're not going anywhere'". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  11. Rachel Dicker (March 7, 2018). "Father of Parkland Victim Rips NRA at Senate Hearing Over 'Time Is Running Out' Ad". Mediaite. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  12. Herman Wong (February 28, 2018). "His daughter was killed in Parkland. He's begging President Trump to protect those who survived". Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  13. FOX (March 9, 2018). "Fred Guttenberg, father of Florida school shooting victim, says gun control movement 'unstoppable'".
  14. Washington Post, Alex Horton, April 29, 2018, The NRA said guns will be banned during a Pence speech. Parkland students see hypocrisy., Retrieved April 30, 2018
  15. "Parkland dad who grilled Rubio on national TV pleads with senators for assault-gun ban". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  16. "Fred Guttenberg". C-SPAN.org. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  17. "Father of Parkland Shooting Victim Meets With Va. Students". www.nbcwashington.com. March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  18. David Culver and Shomari Stone (March 7, 2018). "Father of Parkland Shooting Victim Meets With Alexandria Students". NBC News. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  19. ALEX DAUGHERTY (March 7, 2018). "Parkland dad who grilled Rubio on national TV pleads with senators for assault-gun ban". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  20. Missy Schrott, March 16, 2018, Gun violence town hall held in wake of mass shootings, Retrieved March 22, 2018
  21. Gstalter, Morgan (July 6, 2018). "GOP congressional candidate tells Parkland father to stop 'exploiting' his daughter's death". TheHill. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  22. Eli Rosenberg and Seung Min Kim, Washington Post, September 4, 2018, Brett Kavanaugh 'turned his back,' says father of Parkland victim who tried to shake his hand, Retrieved October 13, 2018
  23. "Father of Parkland Shooting Victim Says Brett Kavanaugh 'Turned His Back' to Him at Confirmation Hearing". Time.
  24. "Parkland victim's father and Kavanaugh: The handshake that wasn't". NBC News. September 4, 2018.
  25. Eli Watkins, Ariane de Vogue and David Shortell (September 4, 2018). "Father of slain Parkland student approaches Kavanaugh at hearing". CNN.
  26. "Kavanaugh: I didn't recognize Parkland dad seeking handshake". www.politico.com. September 13, 2018.
  27. Huriash, Lisa J. (September 13, 2018). "Parkland dad: Brett Kavanaugh's reason for not shaking my hand is 'less than genuine'". Sun-Sentinel.com.
  28. LeBlanc, Paul (September 11, 2019). "Parkland dad describes meeting with Alyssa Milano and Ted Cruz". CNN. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  29. Horton, Alex. "An emotional Parkland dad was handcuffed after he shouted at the State of the Union speech, he says". Washington Post.
  30. "Parkland father removed from State of the Union speech after shouting at Trump". www.msn.com.
  31. Rodriguez, Christal Hayes and Adrianna. "Dad of Parkland shooting victim gets kicked out of State of the Union for yelling at Trump". USA TODAY.
  32. "Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland victim, apologizes for State of the Union outburst". ABC News.
  33. "Parkland father reacts to Texas school shooting: 'How many more times?". MSNBC. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022.
  34. NBC News, Matthew Vann, May 24, 2018, Parkland families sue gun manufacturer and dealer, citing complicity: The lawsuit challenges a 2001 Florida law prohibiting state and local governments from suing gun sellers if their merchandise is used unlawfully., Retrieved May 26, 2018, "...The parents of Jaime Guttenberg and Max Schacter say that American Outdoor Brands, the company that makes the AR-15 rifle used by the suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz, and Sunrise Tactical Supply, the store that sold it to him, are complicit in the attack..."
  35. By Josefin Dolsten, November 1, 2018, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
  36. Dolsten, Josefin (February 21, 2020). "Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in Parkland, believes 2020 'is the most crucial year in this country's history'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
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