Judge sentences Fresno man to prison for harassing Parkland mass shooting victim’s father
A Fresno man was sentenced to a year in prison for harassing one of the parents of a teen girl killed in the 2018 Parkland, Florida, mass shooting at a high school, prosecutors said.
James Catalano, 62, was sentenced Friday to 12 months in prison for sending the distressing messages to Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was murdered during the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Monday.
The victim received more than 200 harassing messages between Dec. 1, 2021, and July 20, 2022, prosecutors said.
Catalano, who was listed as owner of property management company J-C Markets when arrested, sent messages that graphically described the 14-year-old daughter’s death and focused on the debate surrounding gun control, prosecutors said.
“Catalano further stated that he believes (Guttenberg) was using his dead daughter to push his political agenda and Catalano did not like that (Guttenberg) was doing that and that Catalano was trying to put (Guttenberg) in check by sending him those messages,” according to court documents.
He pleaded guilty in March. His attorney was not immediately available for comment on Monday.
