PARKLAND, Fla. _ The life of the party. The energy in the room. A girl who always made her presence felt.
This is how a despondent Fred Guttenberg described his late 14-year-old daughter Jaime during a candlelight vigil in Parkland held Thursday night in honor of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre.
Jaime, one of the 17 students and teachers killed during the rampage, was remembered on social media as an enthusiastic gymnast and dancer. Her Facebook memorial page, which was created Thursday, is crowned by a group photo of Jamie and the fellow members of the DTX dance team at the Dance Theatre Academy in Coral Springs, where she studied.
After Thursday's public appearance, Jaime's family and friends have requested privacy. But the outpouring of love for the teen on social media has been constant. Dancers from California, Illinois, New York and other states around the U.S. performing in competitions this weekend have pledged to wear orange ribbons in honor of Jaime, whose favorite color was orange.
Her aunt, Abbie Guttenberg Youkilis, described Jamie on Facebook as "an intelligent, feisty girl who always looked out for the underdog and the bullied" and that Jamie wanted to be a mother and occupational therapist when she grew up.
But Youkilis' post, which was written as an open letter addressed to "Dear America," also expressed anger at the National Rifle Association.
"Fred and Jen are the world's most loving and over-protective parents but they could not protect Jaime from the sickness that has gripped our country. Unless we change, nobody can protect us. My friends and fellow citizens, your guns are not protecting you. Your guns are killing our kids."
