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'She was supposed to be safe' - distraught Florida high school shooting victim's father speaks at vigil

February 16, 2018

A grieving father has relived his last moments with his daughter before she died in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School yesterday.

Fred Guttenberg's 14-year-old daughter Jaime was one of the first victims to be identified yesterday, after a gunman shot and killed 17 people, injuring more than a dozen others. 

She was a freshman at the high school, and her younger brother survived the shooting.

Speaking at a vigil today Mr Guttenberg said,"I sent her to school yesterday. She was supposed to be safe.

"My job is to protect my children, and I sent my kid to school.

"In the morning sometimes things get so crazy, she runs out behind, 'I got to go 'Dad bye''. And I don't always get to say 'I love you'."

"I don't remember if I said that to Jaime yesterday morning."

He said Jaime was "such a special kid" and his family are "broken" after yesterday's tragedy.

"I just want to say to all of you kids, when you look at us parents like we are crazy, like we are trying too hard to protect you, like we are trying too hard to tell you what not to do, where not to go. And you think we are being a pain, just remember it's because we love you and we never want to go through the tragedy of losing you."

A Broward County Sheriff's Office report says alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz confessed to being the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

He made his first court appearance today.

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