'Gabby Alert:' Gabby Petito's Parents Working To Help Missing Person Victims
By MLC on November 16, 2021 at 1:13 PM EST
Gabby Petito’s parents gave their first live interview to local news station WFLA NOW since their daughter’s passing.
Nicole Schmidt, Joe and Tara Petito joined WFLA on Tuesday, November 16, and fielded questions from fans across the world.
They talked in depth about the Gabby Petito Foundation and the goals of the foundation.
A resounding goal of the foundation is to help prevent domestic violence, and decrease the number of victims facing domestic violence.
The Gabby Petito Foundation is working to help domestic violence victims
Gabby’s father, Joe, said, “1 in 3 women are victims of domestic violence. If we can extend those numbers to one-in-four, one-in-five, one-in-six, keep pushing that so it’s [domestic violence] not as prevalent, that would be justice for Gabby.”
Her mother, Nicole, echoed her ex-husband’s sentiment when it comes to justice for Gabby.
“For me, preventing this from happening to someone else, if we can try and make that change, that’s justice for me. It’s helping others,” Nicole said. “It’s about the changes we can make. We can’t change the past, but we can change the future.”
Discussion of creating a type of missing person alert was also a hot topic of discussion.
Gabby’s mother, father and stepmother discussed how they’re working to create a form of AMBER Alert for domestic violence victims and missing persons for people aged 18-64 years old.
Joe expressed this type of alert, the 'Gabby Alert,' should be on a national level.
Nicole added that if a family knows their loved one is missing, the alert can help people start looking for them immediately.
Joe added it doesn’t even have to be named after Gabby, but the most important thing is that an alert of this kind is created.
Gabby's parents working to create the 'Gabby Alert'
At the end of the day, Joe, Nicole and Tara want to do right by Gabby and make her proud.
“I want to make sure Gabby is looking down and saying ‘I’m Proud,’” Joe said.
The Petito and Schmidt family would love for people to remember to take pictures. Relish in every moment of every day.
Her stepmother said, “Gabby loved to take pictures, so take pictures.”
“If you have a dream, try and follow it. You don’t know how much time you have,” Joe said.
He and Gabby had a saying, “Think of tomorrow, but live for today.”
Joe Petito wants everyone to remember to 'Live For Today'
They’d like for everyone to remember Gabby “as the free spirit you see in her YouTube videos.”
“We will fight to the end,” Nicole noted.
Gabby’s remains were discovered in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19. Her body was identified on September 21 and her death was ruled a homicide.
She was on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. They had documented their travels on her YouTube channel and social media, but their regular posting stopped abruptly at the end of August.
Laundrie, was the only “person of interest” in the case. He returned to North Port, FL, where he and Gabby were living with his parents, in early September WITHOUT his fiancée.
He was reported missing on September 17 by his parents and was confirmed dead in late October.
