A man who sent hundreds of repulsive online messages to the father of a high school student killed in the Parkland mass shooting was sentenced in Miami federal court to a year behind bars.
James Catalano, 62, who had pleaded guilty to cyber harassment, must also spend three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison. He has until Nov. 29 to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami, records show.
The California resident, sentenced Friday, admitted to authorities that he sent more than 200 vile messages to , whose 14-year-old daughter was one of 17 people killed at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, because the author and gun safety advocate “was using his dead daughter to push his political agenda,” according to a criminal complaint.
Starting in December 2021, Catalano began sending a slew of harassing messages sent to Guttenberg through the contact page of Orange Ribbons for Gun Safety, a nonprofit he founded to reduce gun violence by advocating for gun safety policies and candidates.
Many of these messages referred to his daughter Jaime Guttenberg, the manner of hear death, and her pain and suffering as she was murdered along with other students and staff on Feb. 14, 2018. The messages also mentioned Fred Guttenberg’s gun safety advocacy. They also showed support for former President Donald Trump and disdain for President Joe Biden and the LGBTQ community.
Among the messages, Catalano said that James Guttenberg was never going to be happy after his daughter’s murder and that she was “rotting in hell.”
“We are having a party every night of this fantastic Parkland trial,” Catalano said in one of the messages. “So glad to celebrate blood and death.”
In another message Catalano wrote: “Just got my concealed carry permit. Wish (Jaime) was alive so I could show it to her. But, damn… she got slaughtered and is now in hell.”
Catalano continued sending the hateful content until at least June of 2022 — seven months after he began the rants.
In July, Catalano admitted to law enforcement to be the author.
“Catalano further stated that he believes that James Guttenberg was using his dead daughter to push his political agenda, that Catalano did not like that Guttenberg was doing that, and that Catalano was trying to put Guttenberg in check by sending him the messages,” an FBI agent said in the criminal complaint.
Elaine Hadley is a dedicated journalist covering the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. news. With a keen interest in politics and a commitment to uncovering the truth, she provides insightful commentary and in-depth analysis on domestic issues. When not reporting, Elaine enjoys exploring the diverse cultures and landscapes of the United States.
