In an open letter addressed "Dear America," the aunt of a 14-year-old killed in a Florida school shooting calls for action — not prayers — to put an end to gun violence.
Abbie Youkilis describes niece Jaime Guttenberg as intelligent and feisty with the world's best smile. She says she danced with beauty and grace, and "probably had been kind to the student who shot her."
Her emotional letter released Thursday labels politicians who fail to restrict access to guns as complicit, saying they and the National Rifle Association enabled Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old charged with killing Jaime and 16 others at a Parkland, Florida, high school Wednesday.
This undated photo provided by Abbie Youkilis shows her niece, Jaime Guttenberg. Guttenberg was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and was killed when former student Nikolas Cruz opened fire at the school Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (Abbie Youkilis via AP)
"My family does not want your hopes and prayers. We want your action. Join us in fighting the NRA. Join us in deposing any politician who cares more about campaign contributions than my beautiful Jaime. Join us in supporting leaders who will bravely fight for our children's lives," Youkilis writes.
Gun rights advocates have distorted the Second Amendment right to bear arms beyond rational interpretation, she says.
"Why is your hunting hobby more important than my niece's life?" Youkilis writes. "Why should my niece have been sacrificed at the altar of your 'freedoms?'"
Youkilis describes Jaime's parents as loving and overprotective. Fred Guttenberg said in a Facebook post that he is "trying to figure out how my family gets through this."
And Youkilis says she intends to politicize the issue, as ninth-grader Jaime would have wanted her to do.
"This is political and now this is personal. If not now, when? If not us, who? If we don't finally ACT, the sickness of gun violence will kill us all," she writes.
Florida's Republican-dominated Legislature likely won't do much, if anything, to limit access to guns. After the Pulse nightclub shooting that left 49 dead, Republicans filed bills to allow guns at state university campuses and airports. Republicans refused to hear Democrats' bills that would restrict gun access, including a ban on assault rifles.
The focus of Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislators after Wednesday's shootings was on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and boosting school security, but not restricting gun access.
"You don't take cars off the road because someone got drunk, used one and killed someone," Rep. Jose Oliva, who is in line to be the next Florida House speaker, told reporters Wednesday evening.
Kate Tile leads Moms Demand Action's efforts in the Florida Capitol. The group fights legislation to expand gun rights and pushes for laws to reduce gun violence. She said she's frustrated that the Republican response to mass shootings is allowing guns in more places.
"Clearly we have a problem, and if your only solution is to put more guns on the streets and in schools and courthouses and airports, I shudder to think what our future will look like," she said. "Ultimately, what's going to be the tipping point is the change that comes at the ballot box."
ROME (AP) — Naomi Osaka looked comfortable in her opening match at the Italian Open, beating 45th-ranked Clara Burel 7-6 (2), 6-1 on Wednesday.
It was Osaka’s first victory over a top-50 player on clay since defeating Victoria Azarenka at the 2019 French Open.
Osaka was proud of the way she maintained her mental focus after dropping her serve while serving for the first set at 5-3.
“Just being able to hang in there and eventually close it on my terms is something that I’m very proud of myself for,” she said.
It’s also the first time that Osaka is playing in Rome since 2019 — when she reached the quarterfinals.
Osaka, who was formerly ranked No. 1 but is now No. 173 after a maternity break, served eight aces and produced 27 winners to her opponent’s 10. She’ll next face 19th-seeded Marta Kostyuk, who reached the final of a clay event in Stuttgart, Germany, recently.
Also, qualifier Bernarda Pera beat fellow American Caroline Dolehide 7-6 (6), 6-3 and will next face top-ranked Iga Swiatek; Magda Linette beat Zhu Lin 6-3, 6-2; Brenda Fruhvirtova rallied past Taylor Townsend 3-6, 6-2, 6-0; and Lesia Tsurenko eliminated Donna Vekic 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5).
In men’s action, Argentine-born Italian Luciano Darderi had strong crowd support in a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Denis Shapovalov on Campo Centrale; Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro eliminated Gael Monfils 6-2, 7-5; and Yoshihito Nishioka defeated Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (4).
Rafael Nadal, the record 10-time Rome champion, opens against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs on Thursday.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who is also back in Rome after a month out, is on the opposite half of the draw from Nadal. But second-ranked Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz both withdrew because of injuries.
Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini also withdrew, saying he wasn’t ready to compete following a series of physical issues.
And the Italian federation announced that Camila Giorgi, an Italian who was once ranked as high as No. 26 and won a WTA 1000 event in Montreal 2021, has retired.
Rome is the last big warmup tournament before the French Open, which starts May 26.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Serbia's Novak Djokovic talks to journalists during a press conference at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Rafael Nadal, of Spain, talks to journalists during a press conference at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
France's Clara Borel returns the ball to Japan's Naomi Osaka during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, pauses at the end of a game during her match against France's Clara Borel at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Japan's Naomi Osaka waits to receive the ball during her match against France's Clara Borel at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to France's Clara Borel during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Japan's Naomi Osaka serves the ball to France's Clara Borel during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
