Parkland victim’s father says he rejected White House meeting on school safety

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., earlier this year, said in an interview that aired Friday on Hill.TV’s “Rising” that he rejected an invitation from the White House last week to discuss a recent report from the federal commission on school safety. 

“I chose not to go,” Guttenberg told Hill.TV’s Julia Manchester on Thursday. “I’m going to stay true to who I am. I believe guns are the primary factor and we need to deal with it, and this report did not.”

“I wouldn’t say they extended a hand last week,” Guttenberg added of the White House. “They were looking for my support on the report that was done.” 

Hill.TV has reached out to the White House for comment. 

The Federal Commission on School Safety, which was formed following the high school shooting that left 17 people dead last February, released a report on Tuesday suggesting that schools should consider arming personnel and recommended that the age limit for purchasing firearms should not be increased.

“This report said, in essence, that if we raise the age, it would certainly potentially have an impact in keeping some kids from going and legally buying guns, but then it called out the fact that the majority of kids get their guns from someone who left it unlocked, ” Guttenberg said.

“We can deal with guns by simply saying ‘OK, let’s raise the age to 21 and have safe storage,’ and hold people accountable to that, but this report did not make any recommendations.”

Guttenberg, however, did say he would be willing to work with the administration on issues such as gun storage and raising the age to buy guns. 

“If this administration wants to start there, and talk to me about, as a starting point, raising the age, and dealing with safe storage, I’ll be at the White House tomorrow to do it,” Guttenberg said. 

“If this administration wants to have a conversation with me on gun safety, I will be there for them. I will embrace them if they choose to take this up as a cause, and this report actually gave them an opening to do it,” he said. 

— Julia Manchester