Who was Alaina Joann Petty? Parkland victim's father slams Joe Biden for using 'daughter's death to advance your political agenda'
PARKLAND, FLORIDA: Ryan Petty, the father of 14-year-old Alaina Joann Petty who was shot in the Parkland school massacre in 2018, slammed President Joe Biden on Tuesday, February 14, for using the anniversary marking five years since the shooting to push gun laws. The father wrote in a tweet, "Don't use my daughter's death to advance your political agenda.” The tweet further read, "Because of your politicized FBI, failed Obama era school discipline policies and a Sheriff that cared more about his image in the community than enforcing the law, a maniac was allowed to attack a school. Try learning what really happened."
The response came after Biden tweeted, "Five years ago, a gunman committed an act of horror at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Today, we mourn the 17 loved ones lost. And pray for the countless loved ones left behind. For the lives lost and the lives we can save, we must ban assault weapons."
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Don’t use my daughter’s death to advance your political agenda. Because of your politicized FBI, failed Obama era school discipline policies and a Sheriff that cared more about his image in the community than enforcing the law, a maniac was allowed to attack a school. Try… https://t.co/XdbTgnDNmI
— Ryan Petty (@rpetty) February 14, 2023
'We have to ban assault weapons'
In the video, Biden said, "You've helped me take more executive actions to reduce gun violence than any of my predecessors at this point in their presidencies. We've reined in ghost guns, cracked down on gun trafficking, increased resources for violence prevention. And we stood together as I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years. But there's so much more to do. We have to ban assault weapons … We must say enough is enough."
Commenting on his statement, Petty told Fox News Digital on February 14, "I don't think gun control would solve these problems. There are too many guns already in the hands of Americans across the country. The thought that we can pass some new gun control law and protect our schools just doesn't make any sense, especially when you understand what happened." Petty is a member of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was established by SB 7026 during the 2018 legislative session, states The Florida Channel. Its goal is to analyze information from the school shooting in Parkland as well as other mass violence incidents in the state and address recommendations and system improvements.
Who was Alaina Joann Petty?
On February 14, 2018, the 14-year-old was among 17 people who were shot and killed at the school. At the time of her death, the teen was in her English class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Following the shooting, culprit Nikolas Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without parole after three jurors spared him the death penalty in October 2022, as previously reported.
Talking about the girl, a statement from her family said, as per CNN, "Alaina loved to serve. She was also a part of the Helping Hands program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While we will not have the opportunity to watch her grow up and become the amazing woman we know she would become, we are keeping an eternal perspective.” She worked as a volunteer after Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017. And was also a member of the junior ROTC at her school, a leadership program taught by retired Army personnel.