Father of Stoneman Douglas victim endorses Nikki Fried for governor

Fred Guttenberg, one of the most recognizable, outspoken parents of children killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, is endorsing Nikki Fried for the Democratic nomination for governor.

“Nikki Fried has always been a friend and an ally to those of us working to change gun laws. She understands that fighting for common sense gun safety measures isn’t just a political position, it is a fundamental necessity for our democracy to continue to function,” Guttenberg said in a statement released Tuesday by the Fried campaign.

“We can’t rely on the politics of the past anymore. If we want to see progress in the fight to make our churches, offices, parks, and schools a safer place to be, then we need to try something new. I’m proud to stand with Nikki today,” he said.

Avoiding politics of the past is a theme of Fried’s in her candidacy against the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, Charlie Crist. Currently a Democratic congressman from St. Petersburg, Crist has been in politics for decades, mostly as a Republican, including time as governor.

Guttenberg has become one of Florida’s most prominent advocates for restrictions on gun availability and ownership since his daughter, Jaime, was killed, along with 16 other people, at the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at her school.

His political activism includes supporting candidates he hopes will change gun laws to reduce the prevalence of gun related violence and killings — and calling out elected officials who refuse to take such steps.

Gun violence has taken on new urgency in the 2022 elections, following last month’s mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas.

On Saturday, Fried appeared at the March for Our Lives rally in Parkland, held near Stoneman Douglas.

Crist attended the March for Our Lives rally in Orlando, held on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre. A shooter killed 49 people and injured 58 people at the Orlando nightclub.

Fried, currently the state agriculture commissioner, and Crist have pledged to pursue policies to curb gun violence.

Fried said in a statement that Guttenberg “has taught us all how to harness grief — a grief of the worst kind — and turn it into action.”

“There will be no closed doors to Fred Guttenberg in a Fried Administration. I am grateful to my friend Fred for his faith and his trust in me,” Fried said.