(CNN) — Fred Guttenberg, the father of a victim in the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, was escorted from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night while the President defended the Second Amendment.
Guttenberg, who had attended the State of the Union as a guest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told CNN that his outburst came when Trump discussed gun rights.
“Just as we believe in the First Amendment, we also believe in another constitutional right that is under siege all across our country. So long as I am President, I will always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” Trump said in his speech.
That’s when Guttenberg yelled out in protest something about victims of gun violence, he said, and was promptly escorted out by Capitol Police.
His 14-year-old daughter Jaime was one of 17 people killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Guttenberg later said on Twitter that he regretted his response Tuesday night.
(1,2) Tonight was a rough night. I disrupted the State Of The Union and was detained because I let my emotions get the best of me. I simply want to be able to deal with the reality of gun violence and not have to listen to the lies about the 2A as happened tonight.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) February 5, 2020
“Tonight was a rough night. I disrupted the State Of The Union and was detained because I let my emotions get the best of me. I simply want to be able to deal with the reality of gun violence and not have to listen to the lies about the 2A as happened tonight,” Guttenberg said.
“However, I do owe my family and friends an apology. I have tried to conduct myself with dignity throughout this process and I will do better as I pursue gun safety,” he added.
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